20th of June 2024
Victorian Legislative Council, Melbourne
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan):
We wake this morning to news that another woman has lost her life at the hands of a violent man – a woman in Mackay in Queensland was shot dead. That is 44 women this year – 44 women who deserved better.
Details of the perpetrator are still not public, but what is the guess that this man was known to the police and has a history of violence? This tragic story is far too common, so we must question whether the laws are currently working to protect women.
How many violent men have broken AVOs time and time again, and what are the consequences of that? Are police managing this epidemic without burnout?
We as legislators have a duty to ensure that our community is safe, but we also must question whether changing the laws will have the desired effect. The simple answer is no.
We know this is complex and we know that this is a multifaceted issue, which brings me to my second point: it is football season. The next State of Origin match is next week, and the data shows that family violence incidents rise by 40 per cent during these events. This data is from 2018, which is telling.
What responsibilities are these very influential and very powerful sporting corporations taking on to be part of the solution to Australia’s epidemic of violence against women? I would argue not a lot.
I encourage all members of Parliament that are members of football clubs to start having those conversations with their clubs.
