Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's been just over six months since this parliament came together, united in its grief over the tragic murder of Hannah Clarke and her beautiful children, to condemn the scourge of family and domestic violence. Sadly, this week in Western Australia we've seen yet another gruesome case of family and domestic violence. Andrea, a young mother of two, was doused with petrol and set on fire, allegedly by her partner, in Perth's southern suburbs on Sunday, suffering burns to 35 per cent of her body. She is currently in hospital receiving treatment, and I wish her and her family all the best.

In 2018 a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed that WA has the highest proportion of assaults related to family and domestic violence in the nation, and the victims are overwhelmingly female. I'm concerned that we're not doing enough. While helplines, public service advertisements and even speeches in parliament are great, they don't reach those women and those men who are isolated and, frankly, too busy trying to survive to pay attention and be switched on to what's happening here in parliament, albeit as well meaning as it may be. I'm concerned about reports that men from CALD backgrounds are not accessing the domestic violence helpline. At the time of Hannah Clarke's murder, we in this parliament vowed to continue to fight against family and domestic violence. I've not forgotten that vow, and I know that there are many here who also have not forgotten that vow.