Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Waters, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the Counting Dead Women Australia reports that:

(A) 55 women were killed by violence in 2020, and

(B) 4 women have been killed by violence so far in 2021,

(ii) there is no national government toll reporting women killed by violence in real time,

(iii) 1 in 3 women have experienced physical violence and, on average, one woman is murdered every week by her current or former partner,

(iv) women are nearly 3 times more likely than men to experience intimate partner violence and 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalised from family and domestic violence,

(v) young women, women with disabilities, and First Nations women are more likely to experience violence,

(vi) demand for domestic and family violence services continues to increase, and

(vii) COVID-19 has put more women and children at risk and increased the demands on frontline domestic and family violence services; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) recognise violence against women and children as a national security crisis,

(ii) fully fund frontline family domestic violence services to ensure all those seeking safety can get the help they need, and

(iii) coordinate a national discussion regarding regulation of coercive control.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's first priority is to keep Australians safe. Violence against women and children can never be excused or justified. For those who need help, it is available. Since 2013 the government has invested over $1 billion to prevent and respond to violence against women and their children. This includes the $150 million the Commonwealth government committed for the COVID-19 domestic and family violence support package and the $340 million for the fourth action plan. The decision to legislate coercive control sits with the states and territories, and we welcome the work being undertaken by the New South Wales Attorney-General to investigate the options for legislative reform on behalf of his state and territory colleagues.

Question agreed to.