Rick Wilson (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 15 March I was part of an important conversation on domestic and family violence in the southern forest region of my electorate. Domestic violence touches more lives than we will ever know. So much of it happens behind closed doors that accurate statistics are near impossible to collect. I thank Sandy Venter, Chair of DOVES—Domestic Violence Education and Support—for inviting me to discuss local domestic and family violence support services and ways of addressing critical gaps in service provision in this region. At this forum, women and men spoke frankly about their own personal journeys or professional experiences on the front line in the battle against this disease creeping insidiously through all levels of society.

I commend the agencies working in crisis accommodation, counselling and family services. Every day they support victims and their families through the immediate trauma, guiding them through recovery, restoring dignity and confidence, and rebuilding damaged family relationships.

I was pleased to reaffirm the federal government's role in committing $100 million to the women's safety package and an additional $100 million for initiatives under the third action plan. This plan focuses on: immediate interventions to keep women and families safe; enhanced services to fight domestic violence and support those affected; technologies to keep victims safe and to monitor perpetrators Australia-wide; and educating that violence is always unacceptable. Together, we can all work towards making our communities safe from family and domestic violence in the future.