House debates

Tuesday, 19 March 2024

Statements by Members

Domestic and Family Violence

1:38 pm

Photo of Zoe DanielZoe Daniel (Goldstein, Independent) Share this | | Hansard source

Men need to hear this. For way too long, women have shouldered the load of driving the conversation about violence prevention, basic decency and respect. Violence against women is a men's problem. Men, today I ask you to be the ones to step in and to know the steps you can take to move from being a bystander to being part of the solution.

We live in the supposed lucky country, and yet we count dead women. In the first 10 weeks of this year, 19 women have been killed in Australia. In 2023, 75 Australian women and 11 children lost their lives, mostly at the hands of men they knew. Experts know what's needed: crisis housing, legal services, frontline services, prevention, better data and sustained funding. But they, and we, need men to show leadership to bring the change. I say to the Prime Minister: you have to lead this, to be that man. Use your authority from the most powerful office in this land and please speak as a man to men. It's a national emergency. Enough is enough.