Question Time

Union Advertising

Ms PRATT (Frome) (14:07): My question is to the Minister for Women. Has the minister received any correspondence, including from domestic violence survivors, in relation to John Setka's CFMEU advertisements on trams, and has she counselled the Premier on whether he should take action to stop such advertisements?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:08): Thank you very much to the member for the question. Thank you also to the member and other members from both sides of this house who joined me last night when the lights to Parliament House were lit in orange as part of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. Thank you, Mr Speaker and the President of the other place also, for allowing that really important lighting up.

What I speak to the Premier about in relation to domestic violence is our very, very clear set of policies—comprehensive policies—which are being enacted, policies that we took to the election focused on the prevention and eradication of domestic violence and what work we can do towards that very, very important goal, the most important goal. We have a comprehensive set of policies around that.

I speak to the Premier often about progress on those policies. One of the things which we have already committed to and which we are progressing is consultation about the preparation of legislation to criminalise coercive control. It's legislation that I actually moved some time ago from opposition. However, sadly, it wasn't progressed by those, who are now opposite, at that time.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, there is a—

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: What I have been speaking with the Premier about—

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated. There is a point of order from the member for Morialta, which I will hear under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Thank you, sir: standing order 98, debate.

The SPEAKER: I will listen carefully. The minister is required to answer the substance of the question.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: As per the question, I have been speaking to the Premier in relation to domestic violence prevention and that conversation is multifaceted. One of the issues I have been speaking about with him recently is the consultation that we have been undertaking with particular groups of community members about their views on the progress of legislation to criminalise coercive control.

Just in the last couple of weeks I have had a very incredibly rich and informative conversation with Aboriginal members of our community from different parts of the state about their views in relation to the criminalisation of coercive control. Just this week, as I have been filling the Premier in on, we had another session with members of diverse multicultural communities—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: —about their views—

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey!

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: —in relation to the criminalisation of coercive control, and the reason for those conversations with those communities, as I have spoken with the Premier about—

Mr BROWN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: I ask the member for Flinders to withdraw that comment he made about the Labor Party enabling perpetrators of domestic violence.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, please be seated. We will resolve the point of order. The member for Florey—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. Hildyard: That is so deeply offensive.

The SPEAKER: Order! I have the point of order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hammond is warned. The member for Chaffey is warned.

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Flinders.

Mr TELFER: Sir, I would ask that you ask the member for Florey to apologise and withdraw his false accusations because that is not what I said at all.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will hear the minister on the point of order. Minister, I will hear you on the point of order under 134. You have the right to be heard, and then I will resolve it.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: I would like to raise a point of order—125—to express how deeply upset I am by anybody, let alone someone over there, telling me in this place that I enable perpetrators of domestic violence. That is absolutely deeply distressing—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: —to me. I have spent every single day—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: —I have been in this house absolutely working every day to move—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: —legislation, to speak about, to shine a light on domestic violence, and I do not ever—

The SPEAKER: Minister—

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: —need to hear that again. It is completely unacceptable and deeply offensive.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. I am on my feet—

The Hon. N.F. Cook: You are a disgrace!

The SPEAKER: Member for Hurtle Vale! I am going to ask the member whether in fact the words were uttered. If the member answers no, that will resolve the issue. The member may also inform me as the Speaker as to what was in fact said.

Mr TELFER: Sir, the words which I was accused by the member for Florey of uttering were not my words at all.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr TELFER: And I am very happy to privately tell you the words that I spoke.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I am on my feet, members. Members, the member has made plain to me and the house that what he is accused of saying is not what in fact he said. That is sufficient to dispose of the point of order. I did not myself hear it; however, I am prepared to hear other points of order in relation to disposing of this matter. I did not hear it, the member denies it, the matter is resolved. We will return to question time.