❓ Mrs. Marshall asks about the special task force on family and domestic violence. The Premier outlines the task force's role in improving victim safety and perpetrator accountability, building on existing government efforts, and incorporating lived experiences into policy.
AnsweredQoN 598Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE — SPECIAL TASK FORCE
598. Mrs M.R. MARSHALL to the Premier:
I
refer to the establishment of a special task force to help guide the state's
efforts to address family and domestic violence.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to this house how this task force will work to improve victim–survivor
safety and perpetrator accountability?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how the task force will build on this government's
ongoing response to addressing family and domestic violence?
VIOLENCE — SPECIAL TASK FORCE
598. Mrs M.R. MARSHALL to the Premier:
I
refer to the establishment of a special task force to help guide the state's
efforts to address family and domestic violence.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to this house how this task force will work to improve victim–survivor
safety and perpetrator accountability?
(2) Can the
Premier advise the house how the task force will build on this government's
ongoing response to addressing family and domestic violence?
AnswerView source ↗
�(1)–(2) I thank the member for Rockingham for her very
important question. As we know, domestic violence is one of the saddest
reflections on our society. It is an ominous shadow that looms over an
otherwise prosperous state. It is a scourge. It is an epidemic. It is occurring
behind closed doors. Although it might happen behind closed doors, it is not a private
matter. Addressing the scourge of domestic violence is everyone's business. Domestic violence has created permanent
damage for too many families. Nearly one
in four murders in Western Australia are family and domestic violence related,
victim–survivors' lives are uprooted when they leave an abusive
relationship and they require ongoing support, and families are trapped in a cycle
in which abuse is normalised. It must stop! My government is taking this issue
very seriously. In 2017, we appointed
the first Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, and over the last six years, we have invested more than
$200 million in vitally important programs and infrastructure. We have
also introduced critical reforms for victim–survivors to hold
perpetrators to account. However, we cannot turn around ingrained societal
issues overnight, and there is always more that can be done.
Like all Western Australians, I was
completely shocked by the most recent domestic violence tragedies. In the wake
of those tragedies, I, along with four ministers in my cabinet, attended a forum
organised by the family and domestic violence sector. It was an important
opportunity to hear from advocates, victims and victims' families and
understand the impact this violence has had. We heard their stories of violence
and we could feel their trauma. They raised a range of issues at the forum that
they wanted to bring to the government's attention. This government is listening.
The
priority request from the forum was to form a special task force to help guide
the next steps in addressing family
and domestic violence. I am very happy to report that this task force will
first establish a lived experience advisory group to ensure that the voices of
victim–survivors and the families of those we have lost will always be
front and centre in our policymaking. The Minister for Prevention of Family and
Domestic Violence and I had the opportunity to announce these important measures
today. We expect the task force to report back over a period of time—initially,
a six-month period. However, that will not stop our assertive and deliberate march to continue to improve services for the
prevention of family and domestic violence, it will not stop us from continuing
to bring issues into this place to better support victims of family and
domestic violence, and it will not stop us from identifying more opportunities
to fund important programs. We very much look forward to receiving advice from
the task force, but also hearing from the advisory panel—from those
with lived experience—to continue to make sure that the government is
informed on these matters.
In addition to that, we are amending
the Firearms Act to take guns out of the hands of those who are unfit to hold
firearms licences, including family and domestic violence perpetrators. This is
the second priority arising from the forum.
We want to do everything we can to make it safer for victim–survivors,
and this is another important first step. We will introduce mandatory
disqualifying offences and orders to take guns out of the hands of domestic
violence perpetrators. Our laws will ban serious violent offenders from holding
or obtaining a gun licence. The nature of the offence will determine the period
of disqualification, so those convicted of more serious offences will be banned
from holding a gun licence for longer. These laws will be applied
retrospectively, meaning that those who have previously been convicted of a serious
offence can have their firearms
licences revoked from the point at which the laws are passed. Our laws will
also ban anyone subject to a violence
restraining order or a family violence restraining order from holding or
retaining a gun licence. These are important reforms that will help protect
victim–survivors and the wider public.
I thank all those who organised the
recent forum, and in particular I thank those at the forum with lived
experience who shared their stories in what must have been a painful
recollection of their experiences. By their sharing those experiences, we are
hopeful that we can bring about real change to people's lives. This is
not a quick fix. It will take a combined effort from government, the support
sector and the entire community. It is when
the entire community stands united against family and domestic violence that we
will make progress. We are committed to doing everything we can as a government
to make sure we eliminate this scourge on our community.
important question. As we know, domestic violence is one of the saddest
reflections on our society. It is an ominous shadow that looms over an
otherwise prosperous state. It is a scourge. It is an epidemic. It is occurring
behind closed doors. Although it might happen behind closed doors, it is not a private
matter. Addressing the scourge of domestic violence is everyone's business. Domestic violence has created permanent
damage for too many families. Nearly one
in four murders in Western Australia are family and domestic violence related,
victim–survivors' lives are uprooted when they leave an abusive
relationship and they require ongoing support, and families are trapped in a cycle
in which abuse is normalised. It must stop! My government is taking this issue
very seriously. In 2017, we appointed
the first Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, and over the last six years, we have invested more than
$200 million in vitally important programs and infrastructure. We have
also introduced critical reforms for victim–survivors to hold
perpetrators to account. However, we cannot turn around ingrained societal
issues overnight, and there is always more that can be done.
Like all Western Australians, I was
completely shocked by the most recent domestic violence tragedies. In the wake
of those tragedies, I, along with four ministers in my cabinet, attended a forum
organised by the family and domestic violence sector. It was an important
opportunity to hear from advocates, victims and victims' families and
understand the impact this violence has had. We heard their stories of violence
and we could feel their trauma. They raised a range of issues at the forum that
they wanted to bring to the government's attention. This government is listening.
The
priority request from the forum was to form a special task force to help guide
the next steps in addressing family
and domestic violence. I am very happy to report that this task force will
first establish a lived experience advisory group to ensure that the voices of
victim–survivors and the families of those we have lost will always be
front and centre in our policymaking. The Minister for Prevention of Family and
Domestic Violence and I had the opportunity to announce these important measures
today. We expect the task force to report back over a period of time—initially,
a six-month period. However, that will not stop our assertive and deliberate march to continue to improve services for the
prevention of family and domestic violence, it will not stop us from continuing
to bring issues into this place to better support victims of family and
domestic violence, and it will not stop us from identifying more opportunities
to fund important programs. We very much look forward to receiving advice from
the task force, but also hearing from the advisory panel—from those
with lived experience—to continue to make sure that the government is
informed on these matters.
In addition to that, we are amending
the Firearms Act to take guns out of the hands of those who are unfit to hold
firearms licences, including family and domestic violence perpetrators. This is
the second priority arising from the forum.
We want to do everything we can to make it safer for victim–survivors,
and this is another important first step. We will introduce mandatory
disqualifying offences and orders to take guns out of the hands of domestic
violence perpetrators. Our laws will ban serious violent offenders from holding
or obtaining a gun licence. The nature of the offence will determine the period
of disqualification, so those convicted of more serious offences will be banned
from holding a gun licence for longer. These laws will be applied
retrospectively, meaning that those who have previously been convicted of a serious
offence can have their firearms
licences revoked from the point at which the laws are passed. Our laws will
also ban anyone subject to a violence
restraining order or a family violence restraining order from holding or
retaining a gun licence. These are important reforms that will help protect
victim–survivors and the wider public.
I thank all those who organised the
recent forum, and in particular I thank those at the forum with lived
experience who shared their stories in what must have been a painful
recollection of their experiences. By their sharing those experiences, we are
hopeful that we can bring about real change to people's lives. This is
not a quick fix. It will take a combined effort from government, the support
sector and the entire community. It is when
the entire community stands united against family and domestic violence that we
will make progress. We are committed to doing everything we can as a government
to make sure we eliminate this scourge on our community.
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