Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—The National Party associates itself with the comments made by Senator Cormann and extends our deep condolences to family and friends of Hannah Clarke. The tragedy visited on that young family in Queensland last week has, I think, shocked us all to the very core. Three beautiful children and their mother were horrifically killed by the man whose job it was to protect them, to provide for them, to love them, and to see them grow and develop over time. It was horrific and shocking. Families are an institution that exist to nurture children, to provide a deep, loving, stable environment for their growth and development, and for deep, loving relationships between two adults to extend for a lifetime. They're not places for fear, for disrespect or for violence to be visited on innocent women and children at any time. Domestic violence has no place in Australia. That is why our government has taken strong steps, in partnership with state governments, to address this, but we must do better. We must do better for the future children, sons and daughters, of Australia. Our deepest sympathies to the families and friends. We are looking forward to working with everyone in this chamber to end this scourge.