Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

(1) That the Senate notes that:

(a) on 19 February, Mr Rowan Baxter murdered his wife

Ms Hannah Clarke, aged 31, and their children Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3,

(b) Mr Baxter doused his family in petrol and burnt them alive in their car on a suburban Queensland street before taking his own life,

(c) according to Ms Clarke's family and friends, Hannah had experienced years of emotional, sexual and physical abuse in her marriage to Mr Baxter, had only recently been able to escape with her children, and had a domestic violence restraining order in place against Mr Baxter at the time he committed these murders,

(d) this horrific event has shocked Australia and the Senate joins in that shock, expresses its grief, deep sorrow and support for the family and friends of Hannah, Aaliyah, Laianah, and Trey,

(e) violence against women is a national shame in Australia:

  (i) according to the Australian Institute of Criminology, on average, one woman a week in Australia is murdered by her current or former partner,

  (ii) according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics:

1. 1 in 4 women in Australia has experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner since the age of 15,

2. 1 in 5 women in Australia has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15,

3. almost 40% of women continued to experience violence from their partner while temporarily separated, and

4. 1 in 6 women has experienced stalking since the age of 15; and

  (iii) according to studies commissioned by the Department of Social Services:

1. children of mothers experiencing domestic violence have higher rates of social and emotional problems than other children, and

2. violence against women is estimated to cost the Australian economy $22 billion a year;

(f) according to studies conducted by Our Watch, 1 in 3 young people don't think controlling someone is a form of violence, and

(g) according to a news report on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian police deal with domestic violence every two minutes.

(2) That the Senate calls on the Commonwealth Government to:

(a) acknowledge that Australians demand more, and more effective, action to stop the violence,

(b) acknowledge that violence against women is an urgent matter of national importance, and

(c) convene a national summit as soon as possible with states, territories, service providers, experts and survivors to address this crisis.