CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr WILKIE (Clark) (09:40): Last month, I met with a group of victims-survivors of family and domestic violence from my community, and I'd like to use my time today to read some of their experiences into the parliamentary record. These statements are delivered anonymously, having regard to the privacy and safety of the women, as well as legal matters which are afoot.
One statement reads: Imagine being four years old, having moved home eight times, crossed state borders for safety, having survived strangulation before you even took your first breath, witnessing your mother being raped repeatedly, not being protected by a Family Violence Order, and living with the ongoing risk that family law orders could require you to spend time with the man responsible for that violence.
That is the reality for my son. While governments continue to pledge their commitment to ending family violence and femicide, victim-survivors need to see tangible reform. Perpetrators must be held accountable, removed from their victims' lives, and our system must prioritise community safety.
Australia can, and should, do better. I welcome the intent of the government's National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, but intent without meaningful action and adequate resourcing is just a press release. I will use the words of one of the women I met: Real reform means moving beyond ongoing promises and creating systems that genuinely prioritise the safety and wellbeing of women and children in Australia.
On average one woman is killed by a current or former partner every week, and that is obviously completely and utterly unacceptable. Clearly the systems we have in place are not working because at best they do little to protect vulnerable women and children and at worst send them right back into the arms of their abusers. As one of the women said to me: A lot of the process is the punishment.
The abuse of institutions is a big part of the problem. Abuse of the courts, vexatious claims made against victims-survivors and lies told to government agencies like the ATO and Centrelink are some of the accounts given to me. Frankly, it's a damning indictment of our system that the processes designed to protect victims-survivors are being turned into a weapon against them.
Several of the women I met with detailed how they now have criminal records because of the lies told in court by abusers. The national plan is good, but it's time for some national action to address this crisis. These women and children need leadership from governments, and they desperately need it now.