Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, and having consulted with the Leader of the Opposition through our offices today, as the member for Barton just spoke in this place of these terrible murderous events, the sad truth is they are not isolated incidents; they have happened on so many occasions. Taking this indulgence today, as we reflect in particular on the terrible crime that was committed against Hannah Clarke and her children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey, we also speak of the terrible murders of so many others—mothers and children. Murder: that's what it is—murder that again, last Thursday, shocked our country. When Jenny and I spoke about it, we just couldn't get our heads around it, as I'm sure is the case for every parent. It doesn't matter whether you're a parent or not, you can't imagine it. It is just too horrible to contemplate. The act itself, and that someone could perpetrate that act, particularly as a father, is incomprehensible. It's an act of such depravity that only makes you ask: 'How does such evil happen on our land?'

To the Clarke family, all of us here extend our sympathies and our love. But I must wonder if that could ever be enough to cover the profound grief. They have shown incredible resilience and character in the worst of all possible circumstances. As best as we can, we also send the country's love to you. In your grief, you have every right to be angry—furious—because everything we've done across this country to protect women and children didn't protect Hannah and her children from this evil. I believe state and territory and national governments, our agencies and, importantly, the judiciary—all of us—must reflect again on these terrible murders. We must reflect on how and where the system failed Hannah and her children, as it has failed so many others. It's so frustrating. It's so devastating.

Whilst this was the action of a depraved and evil man, we know enough of the circumstances leading up to the murders to know this should not have happened. There will rightly be an inquest in Queensland. I commend the Queensland government for taking that action, as they should. It will speak the truth, I have no doubt, as so many others have spoken the truth. And we already know this: Hannah deserved to feel safe and be safe and to watch her joyous and wonderful children grow up; and Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey deserved to have a childhood that was innocent and to have lives that were long and joyous.

For all of us in this chamber, the words 'family violence' just jar. Saying those two words together, they should never be together; they have nothing to do with each other—quite the opposite, because our families should be the safest places in all of the world, particularly for our kids, but, sadly, all too often, they are not. We know that, as hard as it is to believe. One woman is killed every nine days by a partner or a former partner. One in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner since the age of 15. We know these figures. We've spoken these figures I don't know how many times in this place. Regardless of who has sat on this side of the chamber or on that side of the chamber, we know these figures—or on this side of the chamber or on that side of the chamber in every state parliament in this country. Every two minutes somewhere in the country police are called out to a domestic violence incident. As members, we know that the Commonwealth, states and territories do work closely on tackling violence against women and children, and we must continue to do this together.

This has been, I think, one of the shining lights of bipartisanship in this chamber, and in so many chambers around our country. I acknowledge the work, as I have done and others have done, on the establishment of the first action plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children from 2010 to 2022, which was commenced under the Rudd and Gillard governments. That was a great initiative. Now, as part of the fourth action plan, that spirit continues, that partnership continues—a partnership that exists not just across this aisle, which is closed by our commitment to addressing this, but between the state and territory governments and the Commonwealth as well. A record $340 million has been provided under this plan for frontline services to protect and support women and children. In total, since 2013, some $840 million has been committed to addressing domestic and family violence, to carrying on the work that was initiated by the previous Labor government.

In August last year, COAG agreed to the fourth action plan. In November, we released the national implementation plan. It includes funding for prevention strategies and frontline services, including for groups which needed additional support; funding for safe spaces; as well as funding for 1800RESPECT. That 1800RESPECT line is open 24 hours to support people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse. When COAG comes together in a few weeks time, this will once again be on our agenda.

This is a time for us all to reflect, but to reflect together. There are never any excuses—there are none—or justifications for the evil that Hannah and her children experienced. Never. Not under any circumstances. With the states and territories, and together as a parliament, we will continue to work together to translate these words, which I'm sure the Leader of the Opposition will also state with the same passion, into actions and changes that make a real difference for women and children.

This violent crime, this murder, sought to deny a woman her voice and her future. Let me read one of Hannah's last Instagram posts, which expressed a hope. She wrote:

I am a Strong Woman—

no doubt she was—

I don't sit around feeling sorry for myself, nor will I ever let anyone mistreat me again … I am a survivor not a victim. I am in control of my life and there is nothing I can't achieve. My girls will grow up being strong women who understand their worth.

This hope was crushed when Hannah and her children were murdered.

We must work together, as we have been, for as long as it takes to restore that hope to those that we know, right now, today in this country, are living in exactly the same danger as Hannah and her children.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister for not just his words but, no doubt, his sincere commitment to do something about this, along with the rest of this parliament. The murders of Hannah Clarke and her children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey, have shaken us to the core. Yet again, a woman has lost her life to a former male partner. Yet again, children are robbed of their futures by a father who betrayed what should have been the most powerful bond of all, between a parent and their child. We cannot let their shocking and horrific end be their whole story. We must hold on to their names; hold on to the image of those four faces, so happy because they were with each other; and hold on to the courage that Hannah showed. As the Prime Minister said, she left, and that takes courage. She took her kids to what she thought was safety only to find that that wasn't the case, that a man who had a record of crime—because it is a crime against his own family—conducted the ultimate crime and in a manner which, quite frankly, is just beyond comprehension. It's difficult to understand how that could possibly occur.

Our hearts also go out to the bystanders and the first responders, who tried to help but who found themselves powerless. One of those assistants, of course, ended up with injuries themselves.

On Wednesday morning I was in Brisbane, and Terri Butler, the member for Griffith—the local member—rang me up about this before the news broke, because I was giving a speech at the media club and didn't want to be caught out. We had a much longer conversation than you would expect because it was difficult to comprehend the sheer horror of what had happened.

Our sympathies are also with the family and friends of Hannah, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey. They are grieving in the worst of circumstances, and they are showing incredible resilience under those circumstances.

We were, of course, shaken again just days later when, in the early hours of Saturday morning, a woman in Townsville was stabbed to death in her home. Once again, we heard that most dreadful but all-too-familiar line that police were treating it as a 'domestic violence incident'. We must confront the awful truth: that this is an epidemic and that, on average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. All of us in this place and many other people are directly impacted by this. These women are our mothers, our sisters, our neighbours, our aunts, our cousins, people we have contact with, members of our political parties, members of parliament, nurses—everyone is affected by this scourge. Violence and abuse against women exists in many forms: physical, emotional, financial. We cannot be mere bystanders. We shouldn't keep relearning the same lesson that evil happens when good people do nothing.

Last May, I suggested a national summit. I know there have been meetings such as that in the past. I do think it is worth consideration as put forward, not in a political way but in the spirit in which it's intended. The Prime Minister indicates he's taking it. It's time, once again, to use the extent of this horrific act to get it through that we need to listen to those people who are impacted by family violence and to the experts. We need to learn. We desperately need to act.

I do want to say that I think that we need to repel some of the attacks as well. We need to speak up when people make the sorts of comments—including in the aftermath of this tragedy—that are entirely inappropriate. We must repel attacks on the Family Court of Australia. The existence of a standalone specialist family court is a Labor legacy that we will defend. Whatever problems there are with the current family law system, the existence of a standalone specialist family court is not one of them. It is a necessary part of the solution. Government and opposition can work together on this. All of us, as members of parliament, have a role to play. The memory of Hannah Clarke and her three beautiful children must galvanise us all into further action to eliminate violence against women and children. We can't accept this as normal. We have it in us to be so much better. Lives depend on it, as we see all too often.

I did write to you, Mr Speaker, and spoke to you earlier today about the need for the parliament to acknowledge this, and I thank the Prime Minister for the way that he has conducted the capacity of us as a parliament. I do think it would be appropriate that we acknowledge—as I wrote to you, in the normal way that we do—the fact that this parliament stands as one in respect for Hannah and her three beautiful children: Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey. Let's hope, let us just hope, that in years to come there will be a Prime Minister standing on that side of the aisle and a Leader of the Opposition on this side of the aisle who give very different speeches about how we've been through a considerable period of time without there being a murder, a fatality. That is truly an objective worth each and every one of us working towards each and every day in whatever capacity we have.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a mark of respect, I ask all present to rise in their places.

Honourable member having stood in their places—

I thank the House.