Ask for Angela Scheme

Ms LUETHEN (King) (14:20): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General detail to the house how the Ask for Angela scheme will be rolled out in South Australia and the assistance that it will provide?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (14:20): I am very happy to do so. I thank the member for King for her advocacy in this area and in particular victims of abuse, and she has made powerful presentations to this parliament. Last week, I had the pleasure of launching the Ask for Angela scheme into South Australia, with the support of the Hon. Michelle Lensink of the other place, SAPOL and the Australian Hotels Association. In developing the campaign, the Office for Women has also worked closely with Consumer and Business Services, Music SA, YWCA and Yarrow Place, who I thank for their support in this initiative.

Ask for Angela is a campaign that allows customers at any participating licensed venue to ask for Angela at the bar if they require assistance to leave an unsafe or difficult situation. Staff will then take the appropriate action, which can range from escorting the patron to a safe area to arranging for a taxi or alerting security or authorities to the issue.

By way of background, the scheme was launched by the Lincolnshire County Council in the United Kingdom and it has since been taken up in New South Wales, with South Australia next to join up. Put simply, every South Australian deserves to be safe to enjoy a night out without being harassed or treated with disrespect. We encourage anyone, man or woman, who is feeling unsafe to ask for Angela at participating venues. We also encourage every South Australian licensed venue to take up the campaign. Not only is a safe venue a popular place but happy patrons who feel protected are good for them and their business.

The Australian Hotels Association have taken an active role in this space, acknowledging that often their venues are the places where situations like this occur, with staff who have the opportunity to assist. In particular, where people meet—for example, to have a first-time date—this is a popular venue. We encourage people to meet in a place where there is security available. The AHA is working with their venues to roll out this scheme across the state and it will be progressively rolled out.

I emphasise that this is just one aspect of a broader reform that we undertake to support women's safety, including current legislation before the parliament and our announcement of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. All licensed venues are encouraged to take up this campaign. Not only is it important to encourage safe venues, respectful behaviour and zero tolerance toward violence and harassment, the safety of and responsible behaviour towards patrons is good for business. Community safety is everyone's business and we can all do our part to create the kind of society that we want to be living in, by treating each other with respect.