Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, and that's with the concurrence of the whips.

The statement read as follows—

A coalition of more than 100 women and children's safety organisations have condemned this inquiry as unnecessary and dangerous. They feared it would embolden abusers and put women and children at greater risk. They urged the government to focus instead on implementing the over 200 recommendations that have already been made by numerous previous inquiries.

Since March, there has been a 70% increase in urgent family law applications in the Federal Circuit Court and a 200% increase in urgent complex matters in the Family Court, driven by family violence. We still have 1 woman being killed each week by a partner or former partner. As the economic stress of the COVID crisis continues, the Chief Justice of the Family Court predicts even higher numbers.

The Law Council of Australia, originally supportive of the inquiry, changed its position after giving evidence at a hearing. They've now called for the inquiry to be discontinued and said it was clear that the inquiry "is being used for political purposes to undermine domestic violence claims made by women".

The Greens have opposed this inquiry from the outset and we're disappointed by this extension. We don't need a further 5 months of toxic hearings, we need urgent action and funding to ensure the family law system is safe.

Question agreed to.