John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am referring to domestic violence, and Senator Moore has referred to the question. I am getting to that very point. We are talking about domestic violence and how we solve the problem. What do we do about harm to women? None of us in this building would ever endorse or condone any actions of violence, especially against women. That is the point I was making about domestic violence.

The government is committed to addressing domestic and family violence and sexual assault affecting all Australians. It is a serious problem. From my personal life experience, where I hear or see women especially being harmed or bashed, often it is related to drugs and alcohol. The treatment of women by some men is deplorable. I was referring in that context to Senator O'Sullivan, who has been a huge campaigner against domestic violence. We talk about what we in government are doing about this issue. The point I want to make is that when a minister has had open meetings at their office to address this very issue, the first person through the door was Senator O'Sullivan. We need to address this issue and he has been a huge contributor to the abolition of domestic violence.

Getting back to the issue of many businesses having discussions with their employees about the best way to support affected employees in the workplace. This should be encouraged. It is important that individual businesses, in conjunction with their employees, work out leave and other arrangements that will suit their unique circumstances. In most cases, it is, of course, not one size fits all. So it is important for businesses to actually work together with their employees to see that people who have been treated badly in domestic violence situations are treated in the best way possible. I am pleased to hear reports that a number of large businesses are taking positive steps to deal with domestic violence issues by proactively addressing it in their workplace arrangements and policies. This is to be encouraged. Businesses are showing the lead.

I keep coming back to one thing: Why is there so much domestic violence? Let's look at the root cause of it. It is a very difficult question to answer. Why do businesses face this situation? Why are some people so disrespectful to their partner, their spouse, their workplace colleagues et cetera. That is the question I ask, and I wonder what the solution is. It is a very simple question to ask but the solution is very difficult to find. This is a complicated issue. Earlier this year, even a member in Sydney was reported to have accepted that it would be complex for small employers to cope with a mandatory system of domestic violence leave. It would be very complex—what are the situations and what are the causes? We see the result of something very wrong being done. But why is the violence there? We should look to the root of the problem, to the violence itself.

I note that the Productivity Commission's report into the workplace relations framework included a discussion on domestic violence in the workplace. The government is carefully considering the Productivity Commission's discussions in relation to workplace support for the victims of domestic and family violence. They need support. Some of the things we hear are disgraceful and deplorable. I add that it is not always women. I know that men have been bashed and abused, as well. The statistics show that 99 per cent of the time it is the woman who is being treated badly.

How do we solve the problem? We should work with businesses and encourage them to do exactly that. The immediate and urgent priority of the government is to ensure the safety of women and their children who are at high risk of experiencing violence. The $100 million package announced by the Prime Minister in September 2015 provides essential measures and services that will improve front-line support and services. (Time expired)