MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE
Ms AMBIHAIPAHAR (Barton) (15:52): I would also like to thank the member for Clark for this matter of public importance and all the contributions that we've heard this afternoon. When I received this MPI, the first thing that came to mind was the old saying that domestic violence happens behind closed doors. When I think about domestic violence today, I have two reflections.
The first one is that the attitudes that drive domestic violence are increasingly being promoted openly, right in front of us, through our screens. The second one is that, for many women in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, domestic violence does remain behind closed doors. Both problems very much demand urgent action.
Domestic violence now happens right in front of our eyes, on our screens, rather than being confined to homes. Misogyny and the radicalisation of young men are happening online on an unprecedented scale. Algorithms promote extremist content or creators who gain attention by expressing hatred towards women and teaching young men harmful ways to view and treat them.
Explicit online content is also normalising dangerous sexual behaviour, including strangulation as an ordinary part of sex. That hatred does not stay online. It can escalate into stalking, coercive control and real-world violence.
This is all too true in the electorate of Barton, as Lilie James and her family lived nearby. Lilie was also a former student of Danebank Anglican girls school. Lilie was murdered by her former partner at her workplace, St Andrew's Cathedral School, after she was also stalked online.
Her murder followed a man's sense of entitlement and rejection and the digital stalking that came afterwards. We must always remember Lilie. I also acknowledge her parents, Peta and Jamie, who have become tireless advocates against domestic violence.
They've worked with the local school principals and the St George Police Area Command while pressing governments to go further in tackling online misogyny. Our proposed digital duty of care is a very important step. It will require technology companies to take responsibility for the harm caused by their products and algorithms.
This is not about demonising men. Young men have every capacity to become loving fathers, brothers, sons and partners. As a Catholic, I also believe every person is created equal in the image of God and that we are taught to love our neighbour.
Harmful online products are exploiting young men's fears and insecurities and are directing them towards hatred of women as the answer. Big tech is promoting hatred for profit. We are taking them on.
Women's safety will not come second to a tech billionaire's bottom line. However, in culturally and linguistically diverse communities like Barton, too many women remain trapped in their homes. Domestic violence is the dominant crime in the St George area.
It is the No. 1 callout our local police have to respond to. Barton is very diverse, home to people of many cultures, languages and faiths. But members of diaspora communities can experience profound isolation, particularly when they are still learning English or do not have established support networks.
At my first Barton Bubs event, I was struck by how many new mothers told me they'd never met another local mum and did not know where to go for connection. That isolation can leave women without relationships they need to seek help, solidarity or safety. Women can live in fear without having the language or information to identify what is happening to them.
Even when they recognise the abuse, language barriers, financial dependence and social isolation can leave them without a very clear way out. We must do a better job of reaching culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the languages people understand. Trusted grassroots organisations like CASS and Kogarah Storehouse are doing really vital work reaching women who may not feel able to approach mainstream services.
I also want to acknowledge the Family Co. program operating from the St George Police Area Command. It provides discreet, culturally appropriate support to local women and children escaping violence. Domestic violence is hidden behind closed doors and promoted openly on our screens.
We must confront both head on.