Sharman Stone MP

Australian women need to know before the Federal election what the Gillard Labor Government is planning to do to stop family violence.

 

Dr Sharman Stone, Shadow Minister for the Status of Women, said the Labor Government has had the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women report since April 2009 but is yet to make public its formal response. This is despite escalating rates of reported abuse, serious injury and deaths.

 

“In her Budget statement in May, Tanya Plibersek, the Minister for the Status of Women said the Government was in the final stages of the development of the national plan,” Dr Stone said.

 

“The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has shown great interest in appearing to ‘fix’ things but there has been no reference to family violence and the need to reduce the incidence of assaults and abuse that cripple women and leave the next generation also damaged.

 

“Ms Plibersek said in May that the national plan being prepared by the government in conjunction with the states and territories would co-ordinate a national violence prevention agenda. We have seen some limited funds for communication campaigns, but women and their children, especially in rural areas, continue to have no safe places to go to when they need to escape abusive relationships. Too often women are forced to remain in a dangerous place, because they simply have nowhere else to go.

 

“The Coalition has a zero tolerance of family violence and will not push the problem under the carpet,” Dr Stone said. “We will ensure there is a coordinated national response.”