Zoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. February will mark 10 years since Rosie Batty's son, Luke, was killed by his father. Rosie is in this place today, still advocating for women and children, yet 54 women have been killed so far this year, and children are still being killed by parents once a fortnight. The government's plan to reduce deaths by 25 per cent year on year has failed in 2023. What will you do differently next year to stop women and children from being murdered?

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How about age verification?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fisher will leave the chamber under 94(a). People are not to interject before an answer even begins.

The member for Fisher then left the chamber.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and for her genuine commitment, along with that of other members of this House, to eliminate violence against women and children. And I acknowledge Rosie Batty; I'm not sure whether she's in the gallery, but I acknowledge her in the House. She is a great Australian. She took a tragedy and turned it into a motivation to make a difference for others. One life lost to domestic and family violence is one too many. But this year, as with every year, there has been one life lost after another. Recent tragedies have starkly reminded us that family and domestic violence recognises no social, economic or cultural barriers. But while it's indiscriminate, it certainly is not inevitable. We can't keep accepting this violence as inevitable, because it is unacceptable.

During 16 Days of Activism I want to reiterate the government's commitment to ending violence against women and children in one generation. We must treat this violence as something we can end and focus all our efforts on doing to, because there's no time to waste. Men in particular have to step up, and our leaders have an opportunity to champion change and create the conditions that prevent violence, abuse, discrimination and harassment.

My government is taking immediate and practical action. We have record investment of $2.3 billion in this area—ministers across government working to end family, domestic and sexual violence. We've fixed the escaping-violence payment, reducing the time it takes victims-survivors to access support by 22 days. We have extended funding for states and territories to deliver frontline services, including ones that were due to just end. We've delivered on our commitment of new frontline and community sector workers to support victims-survivors. We've legislated for 10 days of family and domestic violence leave for all employees, including casuals. We've made family law reform a priority to make the family law system simpler and safer for people who are fleeing violence. We have responded to sexual violence in university settings and through respectful-relationships education.

This is a scourge on our society. I thank the member very much for her question, and I note the colour scheme representing the 16 Days campaign that is on. We need 16 Days of Activism, but we also need 365 days a year of action and commitment to rid our society of this scourge.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I join in supporting the Prime Minister's very strong words, and when we were in government measures we undertook were supported by the then opposition. We continue in that bipartisanship spirit by congratulating the member for her question. Like everybody in this place, we should be dedicated to the elimination of violence against women and children. There are some programs which are working very effectively and a frustration within those organisations, when talking to those advocates, about how to scale it up and how they can get the ear of government to replicate their success across the country. There are some horrific cases, and the human cost—not just to the individual family and loved ones left behind but to society—is quite astounding. We will do everything that is humanly possible to support the work by the government, by the state and territory governments and by NGOs to bring an end to this terrible scourge.