MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS

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) (17:48): I table the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission's 2026 report to parliament and a ministerial statement from the Minister for Social Services, Ms Plibersek, relating to the report.

I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. Almost daily we hear report after report of violence against women and girls, of lives lost. Violence against women and girls is shocking and distressing.

We must never accept it as normal or inevitable. We must commit to ending violence, and we must act with the knowledge that it is possible to prevent violence and with the imagination to see what a world without violence would mean for all of us. That is the core message of the report delivered to parliament today by the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner.

I want to thank Commissioner Cronin and her staff for their work. The commissioner's report acknowledges what has been delivered but also that there is more to do. It is the largest investment any Australian government has ever made in women's safety—in frontline services, prevention, behavioural change programs and support for children; in the leaving violence payment and making it permanent, giving people escaping violence financial support and safety planning; in legislating 10 days of paid domestic and family violence leave; and also in investing and supporting 500 additional frontline domestic, family and sexual violence workers across state and territory services.

But there is more work to do. That is why, over recent months, led by the Minister for Social Services but supported by every member of the government, we have undertaken the largest national consultation of its kind on the Second Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. We have met with more than 1,100 experts, advocates and frontline workers across 163 roundtables, from Darwin to Devonport, from Broome to Brisbane, and a consultation I hosted here in Canberra in July, as well as a roundtable just last month, where I joined the Prime Minister, Minister Plibersek and others.

The commission's report echoes what we have heard through these consultations, and we are determined to make sure the second action plan is focused on the right areas, such as consistently addressing risk, acting early to prevent harm and preventing and responding to sexual violence. It means addressing every way in which harm occurs, including the ways that did not exist a generation ago or even a few years ago.

According to new research out of the University of Melbourne, one in three teenage boys in this country holds misogynistic attitudes towards women, and one in four agreed that feminism should be resisted with violence. Of everything those researchers measured—ideology, religion, background and hours spent online—the single strongest predictor of support for violent extremism was hostility towards women.

Our children are not born believing these things. Instead, they are being taught them at scale by systems designed to hold their attention rather than serve their interests. Algorithms are pushing content onto teenagers that no child should be seeing, shaping what they believe about sex, about relationships and about respect and normalising attitudes that put women and girls at risk.

This is why it is so important that passing laws which introduce a digital duty of care is supported by this parliament. It places a legal obligation on platforms to keep users safe, particularly our young people. It requires that young people be protected from addictive design and from content that promotes hostile gender ideologies, dangerous behaviour and poor self-esteem.

And it includes a world-first My Feed, My Way. For the first time anywhere, Australians will be able to switch the algorithm off and see only what they have actually chosen to follow. The feed will answer to the user, not the other way round.

As a government, we want to give control back to Australians. Let me say something about this place. Every one of us in this chamber sets a tone that travels well beyond it.

When women in public life are demeaned here, young people are watching, and they are learning. We ask families, schools and clubs to hold themselves to a higher standard. We cannot credibly ask that of them and exempt those in this chamber.

Women and girls should be safe everywhere always. The fact that they are not is unacceptable, and every one of us has a responsibility to change that. Thank you.