Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ANDLER () (): My question is to the Minister for Women's Safety, Senator Ruston. Can the minister update the Senate on the National Summit on Women's Safety and how the summit will be delivered in light of the current COVID-19 restrictions?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Chandler for her question. The National Summit on Women's Safety is an absolutely critical step in the development of the next National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children. It will be an ambitious blueprint to stop the scourge that is family, domestic and sexual violence in Australia. The plan will respond to urgent new issues that we are facing today and build a base for emerging and evolving issues in the future.

I'm pleased to advise the Senate that the summit will be held next Monday and Tuesday, 6 and 7 September, in virtual format. Through an online platform it will bring together experts, survivors, advocates and service providers from locations all around Australia. Panels and presentations will be live streamed to enable Australians to engage in this very important milestone in our work towards developing the next national plan. The summit will cover a very broad range of issues, including economic security and financial independence, e-safety, perpetrator interventions and responding to sexual violence—to name but a few.

It's the culmination of extensive consultations and will allow a diverse range of delegates to build a foundation in shaping our next national plan.

Importantly, the summit is an opportunity to put a spotlight on our shared commitment to create a future where women and children live free from violence. We are absolutely committed to work towards a target of zero, to ensure all Australians are safe in their homes, safe at work and safe in our communities. The live stream will be available to watch on 6 and 7 September via womenssafetysummit.com.au. I encourage absolutely everyone who wants to have their say on the next national plan to engage with this very, very important milestone.

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

Senator Chandler, a supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how will you be engaging with people across the sector throughout the summit?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hearing from the diverse groups in our community is absolutely crucial to ensure our next national plan is the best plan it can be. That's why our consultation process is extensive and involves hearing from victims-survivors, advocates, service providers and other experts in this field. For maximum reach we are using a range of media, including public survey, the recent parliamentary inquiry, targeted workshops and interviews with key stakeholders through the upcoming National Summit for Women's Safety. Through the summit, panels are being held to bring together a cross-section of views from survivors, the service sector, academics and other experts to discuss existing issues and to delve into the new and emerging issues we are starting to see.

To ensure that all Australians are able to contribute to this important national conversation, consultations have been extended through a new survey available to all members of the public, which will be available on DSS Engage until 15 September.

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

Senator Chandler, a final supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How else is the Liberal and Nationals government continuing to work towards the commitment to end violence against women and their children in the transition to the next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week I announced that we're committing $4.2 million to trial a new domestic violence deterrence program as part of our commitment to end violence against women and children, which is part of our $1.1 billion Women's Safety Package. Early interventions are absolutely essential if we are to reduce violence. That's why perpetrator programs are such an important part of our response. It is absolutely unacceptable that, in Australia, around 50 per cent of perpetrators will commit a further domestic violence offence within four years of their initial offence.

The Coordinated Enforcement and Support to Eliminate Domestic Violence Program aims to deter perpetrators from reoffending through overt monitoring and clear consequences for repeat offending behaviours. The program will be delivered by the Australian Institute of Criminology, working in close contact with the state and territory police forces. A similar program has been highly successful in the US by holding offenders to account for their behaviour.