Ed Husic (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have to read out these names to get them onto Hansard: Erlinda Songcuan, 69, of Woodcroft, who died on 2 May; Kamaljeet Sidhu, 27, of Quakers Hill, who died on 20 May; Ruth Mataafa, 22, of Bidwill, who died on 30 May; and Joytika Lata, 38, of Hebersham. On 5 May, Joytika's husband of 19 years tried to poison her and has been charged with domestic violence offences. The first three women were all killed in one month, in May, in our area as a result of domestic violence.

I had this brought to my attention by the WASH House in Mount Druitt. The WASH House does a fantastic job, but looking at the WASH House tells you everything about how we treat this problem. The WASH House is largely made up of women, but it's men who are causing this. Erlinda was married to her husband for 44 years, and she was killed; it was four years for Kamaljeet; and Ruth, who was 22, had just got married and there was a murder-suicide. Men have got to take control of this. Men are doing this. They need to take responsibility. Until they do, we are still going to be reading out these names. It's unacceptable.