QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (14:35): Thank you, Senator Tyrrell; I really welcome the question because it's an important one. This has been the subject of a lot of discussion at women's ministers and women's safety ministers meetings because it's something that we're seeing in every jurisdiction.

I don't think how we support young men and provide appropriate education and avenues for support has always been front of mind when thinking about women's safety, because often we're thinking about it from the crisis response of responding to what's happening to women. But increasingly, with the way the so-called manosphere is working and impacting on women's lives, this is something that governments are paying more attention to.

Like any violence against women and children, it's not necessarily something that a government on its own can fix. It's a whole-of-community effort that is required to respond to it. All of us in this chamber have a responsibility to deal with it as well.

We, and I'm sure every woman in this chamber, know the impact of the online abuse that we get. While accepting that all politicians get online abuse, the type of abuse that we get, primarily from men, is of a particular nature, often threatening and sexualised and demeaning. There is a role for all of us in this place to make sure that when we are engaging online that we are doing so in a way that encourages safe behaviour.

As community leaders and political leaders, we should set the standard as to the way we should be engaging with others. I think there are examples where people have fallen short of that standard. The PRESIDENT: Senator Tyrrell, first supplementary?