Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Last Thursday our nation was shocked by a crime so terrible that it is difficult for most of us to comprehend how it could possibly have happened. Hannah Clarke and her children—Aaliyah, six; Laianah, four; and Trey, three—were murdered on a street in Brisbane. They died at the hands of an evil man, a man they should not have had to fear: Hannah's estranged husband and the father of those beautiful children. We ask as a nation: how could anyone do such a thing to the ones he should love? And we ask: why could Hannah and her children not be protected?

These questions and more will have to be dealt with at an inquest in Queensland, which will seek to reveal the truth behind this horrific crime. For now our nation wraps its arms around the family of Hannah Clarke. We say to the Clarke family today that we are with you in your grief. Tears have been shed all over our nation for Hannah and her children. All Australians have felt the pain of this horrific crime and support you. We convey to you our love and the sympathies of everyone here in this place, reflecting the love and sympathy from all the Australian people. We hope you can take some comfort in the fact that as a community and as a nation we embrace you at this incredibly difficult time. You as a family must have so many emotions. You must be asking yourselves so many questions. And if you are angry and feel let down by the system you have every right to feel that way.

Governments and authorities across this country have done so much to try to protect the victims of domestic violence, but Hannah and her children were not protected when they should have been. Right across governments, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary, we must ask ourselves: how can we do better? We must not let Hannah's and her children's deaths be in vain. We must learn from this and move to protect other women and children who find themselves in similar situations. The figures are too terrible to ignore: one woman is killed every nine days by a partner or a former partner, one in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner since the age of 15, and every two minutes somewhere in our country police are called out to a domestic violence incident.

The Commonwealth and the states have worked closely together on trying to tackle this violence. This has very much been a bipartisan initiative, and we acknowledge the work to establish the first action plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022 commenced under the Rudd and Gillard governments. Now, as part of the fourth action plan, the Commonwealth is investing $340 million for frontline services to protect and support women and children. In total, since 2013, the Commonwealth has committed $840 million to address domestic and family violence—and yet we face this. In August last year, COAG agreed to the fourth action plan. In November we released the national implementation plan. It includes funding for prevention strategies and frontline services, including for groups which need additional support, funding for safe spaces as well as funding for 1800RESPECT. 1800RESPECT is open 24 hours to support people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse.

We will continue to work together to fight against this evil in our community. But today we remember Hannah and her children and grieve with her family. Those beautiful faces we have all seen in those pictures will drive us to do better.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By leave—The murders of Hannah Clarke and her children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey, have shaken us all to the core. Like many, I couldn't read the reports when they first came in, because they were too distressing. Like many, I think we held our children closer. The reports, the news—what happened was devastatingly awful. It was tragic, incomprehensible. We ask ourselves: why does this keep happening? But it does. As Senator Cormann said, a woman a week in this country is murdered by a current or former partner. One in three are experiencing physical violence from the time they're 15. One in five are experiencing sexual violence.

This was a horrific event, and we grieve for Hannah Clarke and her three children. We join with people across the nation in expressing our grief and sorrow and our support for the family, and we extend this to many other victims and survivors of family violence in Australia. But actually it shouldn't be a shock to us that this has happened to yet another woman and her family. We shouldn't be shocked there's been another murder. In the early hours of Saturday morning a woman in Townsville was stabbed to death in her home. Again, a case of family violence. We can't continue to simply be shocked. We ought to resolve to act. We ought to resolve to end the national emergency of family violence.

Let this event, this tragic, senseless murder of a woman and her children, be a catalyst for change—changes in approach from governments but also changes in attitudes in our communities. As Our Watch said in response to the Camp Hill tragedy, 'No one individual, community, organisation or government alone can prevent violence against women.' They said:

In order to prevent violence against women, we need a shared, consistent and mutually reinforcing approach, where all levels of government, business and the community contribute to creating a safer Australia built upon respect and equality.

The right of women and children to live safely in their homes, in their communities, without fear mustn't be compromised.

In this place, all of us, individually and collectively, have a responsibility to lead and to work together to provide support to women escaping violent and abusive relationships. I support Anthony Albanese's call for a national summit because we need to come together to listen to survivors and experts. We need to listen and to act and we all have a role to play. On this day, why don't we commit to doing more than being shocked? Why don't we commit to really working together for change? We mourn, but let's do more than mourn. Let us all act together to eliminate violence against women. This is what the memory of this family and so many others deserves.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens send our deepest condolences to Hannah Clarke's family, for the loss of Hannah and her three gorgeous little kids, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey. This act of violence, this murder, has not just shaken my home town of Brisbane; it has shaken the nation. The violent killing of women and children by the people that are supposed to love them is inexcusable. Hannah did everything that she was supposed to do. She left. She filed for a domestic violence order against her ex-partner. She sought help. But this was not enough. The system didn't protect her and her family. They were killed while awaiting a hearing for that breach of a domestic violence order.

We will always remember Hannah, along with the eight other women who have been murdered this year, the 61 women who were murdered last year, and all of the other women who have lost their lives in the past. Too many lives have been ended because our government has not done enough to end the systemic and cultural factors that lead some men to believe that they are entitled to control their partner and their children. I and my colleagues pledge to do everything we can to ensure that domestic violence prevention, support and crisis services are properly funded and resourced, so that we can finally see an end to this national security crisis. And I hope that the victim blaming that we've seen from some of the media outlets and, sadly, from the mouths of some people in this chamber will cease.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to 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.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—We witnessed the ultimate act of betrayal this week. A separated father of three, Rowan Baxter, doused his children and former wife in fuel before setting them alight. As the flames engulfed the car, killing them all, Rowan Baxter committed suicide. It was a calculated, callous, cowardly and evil act that has left so many Australians incapable of comprehension. His disgusting action has further added fuel to an already twisted and difficult family law debate that has seen many decent men deprived of their parental rights. Like so many Australians, I am so angry at the selfish motivation he has shown. Please do not let this bastard's actions reflect on all men.

Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I also rise to join the chorus of moving tributes to Hannah Clarke and her beloved and beautiful children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey. I and my Centre Alliance colleagues give heartfelt condolences to the Clarke family. Lloyd, Suzanne and Nat have lost a remarkable daughter and sister and their precious grandchildren, nieces and nephew. The unspeakable murder of Hannah Clarke and her young children has left the nation reeling. We're all in shock over what has happened. Hannah Clarke did nothing wrong—not a thing. She dreamt of starting a new life after making the courageous decision to leave a violent and abusive man who sought to control and dominate all aspects of her life. She had every right to be free. Hannah has been described by her brother, Nat, as trying her best to bring joy to all those around her and only ever wanting the very best for her children. Photos of Hannah and her children laughing and playing actually break my heart. Their freedom was short-lived. There is absolutely no justification for these senseless murders—none. It was a senseless act by a monster.

Hannah and her children were remembered in a vigil last night in Brisbane, where thousands of mourners came dressed in pink, Hannah's favourite colour, to pay their respects to such an amazing woman and her precious little children. Life will never be the same for the Clarke family. The grace and dignity the Clarke family has shown in such difficult circumstances is how we should all be carrying ourselves. Hannah and her children have touched the hearts of all Australians, and we pledge your deaths will not be in vain.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask senators to join in a moment of silence as a mark of commemoration.

Honourable senators having stood in their places—

I thank the Senate.