Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In respect of the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission's yearly report on the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, released in August, I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

We all want to turn the dial on family violence, but the plan is only as good as the paper it is written on if the Commonwealth does its job and, of course, if the states and territories do theirs too. The track record of this government, though, has been go-slow, poor delivery and off the mark on much of this. We want to be, and will be, on a unity ticket when the focus is on the right measure.

For an example, look no further than this: at the 2022 federal election, the now Prime Minister and his team promised 500 new frontline and community workers for the family and domestic violence sector. In February this year, there were just two. In May, on becoming aware of this appalling progress, Minister Gallagher made another commitment which the Labor government again failed to keep. The minister promised to fill 352 positions by 30 June. They delivered just 94—not all of them new positions and not all of them new workers. By the end of August, they made it to just 198—a long way short of the 352 positions promised. Australian women, children and vulnerable people fleeing violence in a sector that wants workers—they really want those workers. At that rate, it's unlikely they'll get 500 before the next election.

Another example of a broken promise is the delayed rollout of the male perpetrator initiatives. Worse still, at the time, Minister Rishworth gave taxpayer money to an organisation that is not even compliant with its regulator—an organisation that's delivering a service for male perpetrators. Taxpayers should accept, as a basic governance principle, that reporting obligations would be met before the making of announcements about new money. Instead, this government is all about the headline. It is therefore fair to ask how much due diligence has been done on recipients of the funding initiatives of the national plan.

How could anyone forget the $400 million for a better, safer Central Australia? Despite that investment, family violence related crime has increased in the Northern Territory by about 20 per cent and youth crime remains a significant issue. On one August night, when I was in Alice Springs, 500 windows were broken. Next morning, youths and adults with rocks in their hands were walking the streets without even attempting to disguise their weapons; I saw it myself. After a grand final match in Alice Springs, violence erupted with hatchets, axe handles, baseball bats and sticks. How is it that, at a major sporting event in Alice Springs, that can occur when, across the nation, we check for those things in bags? We check for alcohol and for weapons. We do that on entry. The answer, Prime Minister Albanese, is not to just send more money; it's about accountability and common sense.

It's a similar story in Ceduna. Last weekend a large fight between women in front of families after a netball match resulted in multiple injuries—all played out in front of children. In a town increasingly reliant on a welfare economy, it's likely that key figures from organisations funded to address violence and disadvantage were among those offenders. Don't ask Minister Rishworth what's going on in Ceduna, though. She will say, 'It's only perceived that there was a problem'—ignoring a town bouncing from crisis to crisis. More reviews and advisory groups won't have as much impact as action. Ignoring the evidence is not the answer.

The national plan and the most recent Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches—that report—is clear about focus on early intervention and prevention. Early intervention and prevention is not about allowing alcohol restrictions to lapse in the NT without a transition plan. Early intervention and prevention is not the removal of the cashless debit card; evidence proves that removal of the card has been catastrophic in those communities that wanted it. Early intervention is not about removing income management for those with gambling, alcohol and other addictions and catching them when they've reached rock bottom. When a child comes into contact with the child protection system, we have failed them. When an individual or a community can't get proper help for addiction, we've failed them. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.