Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for this important question. The government takes a zero tolerance approach to child and forced marriage and recognises that it constitutes a violation of the human rights of women and girls. In Australia, child and forced marriage is illegal. It is an assault on Australia's values. The Australian government is sending a very clear message that child and forced marriage will not be tolerated anywhere, and to do this credibly we need to commence here in Australia. It is now 10 years since the Howard government established its Action Plan to Eradicate Trafficking in Persons. The Minister for Justice is currently working on finalising the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery. Last year, the Australian parliament passed legislation to recognise child and forced marriage as a serious form of exploitation and a crime akin to slavery.

Australian law is clear—that marriages must only take place when both parties consent and when parties are of marriageable age. Forced marriage offences carry a maximum penalty of four years in jail, or seven years if the victim is a child. If a child is taken overseas for the purpose of a forced marriage, the maximum penalty increases to up to 25 years imprisonment. The AFP has specialised teams to investigate forced marriage. These teams work in close collaboration with state and territory police. Since 2013, the AFP have received 24 referrals for suspected forced marriage matters. However, anecdotal evidence would suggest that the true number of cases is greater than reports indicate. Accordingly, the government's focus is to ensure increased community awareness and education at a grassroots level to ensure that this abhorrent practice is stamped out.