QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Ms ROWLAND (Greenway—Attorney-General) (14:56): I thank the honourable member for his question on a very important topic. For the benefit of the House, the ALRC recommendation referenced by the honourable member states that 'the Commonwealth states and territories should amend their respective legislation to provide that lawyers acting on behalf of a victim of sexual violence have standing to appear in court where the victim's personal sensitive or confidential information has been sought under subpoena'.
This recommendation aims to address what is a perverse situation, because, as the member knows, what happens now is that a victim's counselling records can be subpoenaed, often without their knowledge, and used to discredit the victim in court. I don't think anyone in this place would think it's acceptable for sensitive information, created as part of recovery and healing, to be weaponised in the justice system.
That's why we want to provide Commonwealth leadership on this issue. The matters raised by the honourable member are being considered in a coordinated way by the Commonwealth, states and territories through the Standing Council of Attorneys-General as part of our work plan to strengthen criminal justice responses to sexual assaults. One of the most effective ways to address the issues raised in the ALRC report is to provide specialised sexual violence legal services.
That is why, in response to the ALRC, the government provided $21.4 million for immediate targeted support for victims-survivors, including the establishment of new specialised trauma informed legal services pilots, which are being rolled out across the country. I visited some of these services and have seen first hand the positive impacts they are having, but we are not done.
The Albanese government is currently developing the second action plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. The second action plan will guide our work over the next five years. It will strengthen national coordination and ensure that governments are focused on practical actions that improve safety and outcomes for victims-survivors.
The current consultation is one of the most extensive ever conducted on this issue, and I, along with the Minister for Social Services and the Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence, have spent the last three months engaging extensively with a wide range of stakeholders to hear directly about the causes and responses to sexual violence. I've met with victims-survivors, legal assistance providers, legal experts, community organisations and frontline services to learn directly about what needs to change, including with respect to the issues raised in recommendation 10.
What we've heard is clear: there is no single solution. Ending sexual based violence requires sustained action across prevention, early intervention, justice responses and victim support, and it requires all governments working together alongside frontline services. I say to the honourable member we are not finished.
There is more to do, and I assure the honourable member that we are committed as a government to getting it done.