Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Next week, on State of Origin game night, statistics show that women and children in New South Wales are almost 40 per cent more likely to experience domestic violence. Alcohol and gambling are known drivers of domestic violence and government violence prevention frameworks in Australia have been reluctant to tackle the multibillion-dollar alcohol and gambling industries. When will your government take greater steps to regulate these harmful industries to keep Australian women safe in this national crisis, and encourage greater prevention strategies from sporting codes like the NRL?

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

I thank the member for Warringah for her question and for the very constructive discussion I had with her and other crossbench members about this critical issue earlier today. Violence against women is indeed a national crisis, and I accept completely the startling statistics that the member raised with me earlier today about a spike that will occur when a major sporting event like the State of Origin game being held next Wednesday night is held, and that there is a link, we know, between excessive alcohol consumption and domestic violence—most tragically. The solutions to that, of course, are not simple. We don't have barriers in this country to people having a beer or a glass of wine. Therefore, we need to, I think, make sure that we put in place measures that do make a difference, recognising those facts that I accept that the member has put forward.

Preventing violence against women is a priority of the government as part of our commitment to gender equity, which we regard as one of the things we want to be characterised by. We need to focus on prevention, but we also need to focus on perpetrators. I think the member's question goes to that and the responsibility of sporting codes as well. I say this from my experience: a range of the football codes do significant work out there in peer groups, promoting safety and good behaviour, essentially. There's nothing with having a beer. There is something wrong with excessive consumption leading to the violence that does, tragically, occur too much.

We have recorded $3.4 billion since we came to office to support the national plan that began in 2022. We invested in the budget an additional $1 billion for housing and shelters for women and children escaping domestic violence. We have made major changes to the Sex Discrimination Act to prevent sexual harassment. We've taken long-overdue action against sexual assault on campuses. We've started an ALRC review to strengthen justice responses to sexual violence. We had in the budget as well $925 million for a new leaving violence payment, which will, I believe, make a significant difference as well.

There is more to do. This is something that the whole of society has to confront, and men in particular have to take responsibility for changing attitudes and changing culture, because it demeans everyone. It demeans women. It can lead, tragically, to death. It has an impact on children. We often see people who've experienced and witnessed violence against their mums tragically repeat it through generations. But it also harms men. It harms all of us when we don't have good relations that are respectful. They're something that bring joy to people regardless of their gender. It's something that should be taken for granted as something that's a benefit of a society like Australia. Unfortunately, it's not.

I thank the member for her question. I thank her and others as well. I refer to the member for Curtin, who rang me over the weekend. We had a discussion about a dreadful violent incident in her electorate on the weekend. Tragically, every weekend, every week, every month and every year there is just too much of this. It is something that we in this House have a responsibility to address. State governments, who are the front line of community service delivery, have a responsibility to address it, but our whole society needs to be engaged with this as well.