Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, Senator Cash. Today is White Ribbon Day. Will the minister inform the Senate on the action being taken by government in relation to violence against women and children?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Sullivan for the question. It is indeed White Ribbon Day today, and it is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I believe all in the Senate would agree with me when I say, in Australia and internationally, violence against women is wrong, violence against women and children should not be tolerated, and violence against women and children must be stopped.

Honourable senators: Hear, hear!

In terms of action that the government is taking, on 27 June this year the Prime Minister, Minister Andrews and I launched the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. We are focusing this time on experiences of all women but, in particular, Indigenous women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and women with disability. The Second Action Plan contains 26 practical action items that all governments across Australia—Commonwealth, state and territory governments—believe are critical to improving women's safety. Over $100 million has been allocated over the next four years to support the Second Action Plan. The new initiatives that the Australian government is funding under the Second Action Plan include: $3.3 million for CrimTrac to develop and test a prototype for a national domestic violence order scheme; $1.7 million to take the next steps in developing a national data collection and reporting framework; and more than $1 million to expand 1800RESPECT—Australia's first national professional telephone and online counselling service.

There is no doubt that the Second Action Plan is a plan for everyone—for all women, for all men, for all children, for the business sector, for communities, for community leaders and for governments. Violence against women and children is unacceptable, it is a crime and it requires all of us working together to tackle the issue.

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister outline to the Senate recent developments in relation to key initiatives to counter violence against women and children?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Abbott government has provided $1 million in funding over four years to the White Ribbon campaign—in particular, to increase engagement from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including new and emerging communities. The Abbott government has also provided $6 million towards the Northern Territory's $18 million Domestic and Family Violence Reduction Strategy 2014-17. We have translated the Second Action Plan into 12 different languages so that culturally and linguistically diverse communities have access to information. We regularly update the community on the important work being done by all governments and civil society through the Second Action Plan newsletter. Last month, 20 new research projects, valued at approximately $3.5 million, were announced to support the reduction of violence against women and children. And, just last week, the government announced a $1 million investment to establish a sports grants bank which will be administered by Our Watch from which national sporting codes can fund violence prevention activities. (Time expired)

Barry O'Sullivan (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister outline to the Senate the importance of yesterday's function attended by all police commissioners from Australia and New Zealand?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like you, Mr President, and many of our colleagues in this chamber and from the other place, we had the honour yesterday of witnessing all police commissioners from Australia and New Zealand stand together, united on the issue of tackling domestic violence. This was only the second time in Australia's history that the police commissioners of Australia and New Zealand had united to make a stand on an issue of community-wide importance. As first responders in the community, the police have an unvarnished insight into the devastating effects of domestic and family violence. They have a unique comprehension of what is an exceptionally complex issue. Their stance yesterday was without a doubt a powerful addition to the tsunami of community momentum and support that has been steadily growing. It takes unanimous support from all sides of parliament, from the police, from the media, from communities and from civil society organisations to eradicate the scourge of family violence.