Malarndirri McCarthy (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] I rise to take note of the government's response to questions by Senator McAllister relating to the government's commitment to combating family, domestic and sexual violence. As Senator McAllister told the place this morning, domestic and family violence is a national crisis and a national shame. We know this, and the government knows this. Survivors and their advocates have been bravely speaking about this for years, calling for action from political leaders—advocates like the Tangentyere women's safety group from Alice Springs, who I brought to Canberra in 2018. They travelled the thousands of kilometres, from Alice Springs, to meet with government ministers and urge the government to listen to them. They spoke about the work they do on the front line of family violence. They showed other First Nations women and survivors of family violence that we can stand up and be heard. That was three years ago. We're now eight years into this coalition government and they still don't seem to be taking this issue seriously.

They seem to be seen to be doing things—making announcements and promises, without ever actually delivering. We saw that in May when the government hastily cobbled together a woman's budget, a reaction to the nationwide marches for justice which were taking place right across the country. The government had to be seen to be doing something, so they promised $260 million in the budget to combat family, domestic and sexual violence—money that would be paid to states and territories to distribute to frontline services. Six months on, how much of that has been paid? Nothing. Not a cent.

I would say to those opposite in government: it is not good enough. Securing women's safety requires more than a media release on budget night. Instead, we've seen delayed announcements and indifference to this policy area. Even now we're still waiting for a revised draft national plan which was promised by November. The minister did say today that it is in the final stages of its draft. Well, we certainly hope so. There are only five days left in November.

How can Australians trust the government to deliver on its promises on domestic violence? It certainly can't. This government has failed to take action, clearly. Nowhere is this more apparent than here in the Northern Territory, which experiences the highest rates of domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia. On average there are 61 domestic and family violence incidents per day in the Territory and four domestic and family violence related homicides per 100,000 people per year. First Nations women account for 89 per cent of all victims in the Territory. Nationally Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience violence at roughly twice the rate of non-Indigenous women.

It's past time to stop just talking about it and to elevate women's safety to a national priority. I'm proud to say that Labor does have a plan. As announced this week, an Albanese Labor government will implement a new family, domestic and sexual violence commissioner. This was a recommendation of a recent House of Representatives inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence. Labor also supports calls for a separate national action plan for First Nations people to end violence against women and family violence. Labor will allocate an additional 4,000 units of social housing to women and children experiencing family violence and to older women on lower incomes as part of our housing Australia future fund. We will also provide $100 million for crisis and transitional housing for women. And Labor will establish 10 days paid domestic violence leave, because no woman should have to choose between her job and leaving an abusive situation.

We have seen, time and time again, the Morrison government saying all sorts of things in this area. But one of the most disappointing things, this year in particular, was on budget night, when it made the tremendous announcement of a significant amount of money to go to women's places right across Australia to combat family violence—$260 million. And here we are, six months on, and not one cent of the $260 million has been spent.