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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
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Motions

White Ribbon Day

Debate resumed.

The Hon. G.G. BROCK (Frome—Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government) (12:24): I, like other members on both sides of this house, have great pleasure supporting the member for Stuart's motion that this house recognises White Ribbon Day and encourages all men to swear an oath to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.

I think it is a poor state of affairs that, in today's society, we have to speak about issues of violence against women in general. I think it is an issue that we all should have respect for, no matter who we are, whether male or female. We should be able to respect everybody without violence, and it does not have to be physical violence, it can actually be mental violence. This is a real issue that society needs to address very seriously. The member for Bragg went on about lots of issues, and I agree with some of the concerns that she raised.

I am a White Ribbon Ambassador and have been for many years and, as others in this room, I am very proud to be an ambassador. One of the ways we can promote White Ribbon Day to stop violence against women is to become a White Ribbon advocate, advocating for the cessation of any violence against women, or a White Ribbon Ambassador, recognising the importance of men taking responsibility and playing a leadership role in preventing men's violence against women. White Ribbon ambassadors are formal representatives of White Ribbon Australia who have the knowledge, skills, attributes and determination to influence Australian men—and let me say also non-Australian men, our new migrants coming in to our communities—to critically evaluate their attitudes and behaviours toward women.

I am sure everybody here wonders how we could get that message across. As I said earlier, I do not think we should have to try to get this message across; it should be instilled in us in our youth and as we grow up. We can get the message across by wearing an ambassador pin. That would promote it but it would not reduce the violence or make anything secure. We could also promote it through the media, whether it is the TV, the local papers or social media. Social media these days, with Twitter and suchlike, seems to be the way everything is going.

We could also promote it by speaking about it in our general conversations, with our wives, our families and our friends, making certain that we do not accept any violence whatsoever, be it physical or mental, against any women. We could promote it through community involvement, and everybody in this house is very heavily involved in our communities. We can do that as part of the annual march. As with other members, provided I am not down here in the parliament, I always participate in my home town of Port Pirie.

Also, I think breaking the silence at schools is one area where we need to start to get the message across. However, we also have violence at schools, so that is another issue that we need to address as a society. We seem to allow violence to happen at schools—with all due respect, I have come across this personally with some of my family—and that does not help the attitudes or confidence of those young kids. I think that is certainly where we need to start: in schools, making certain that we break that silence. If there is any idea or identification of any violence, we need to speak up.

It is also about encouraging partnership opportunities. Whether it is the White Ribbon group or others, we all need to work together. Whether we are married, in a partnership, a de facto relationship or in general, we should all show tolerance. We really should show some tolerance and step back a bit, because we all get to the point where we feel lots of pressure, especially in our field and others. The best thing to do, the manly thing to do, is not take it out on your partner, your wife or your girlfriend, but to stand back. I think that is more manly and courageous than anything else.

Violence against women is not a masculine act. I think it is an act of cowardice. It is absolutely low. It is the lowest act I can think of. We all get frustrated but, as I said, it is more manly to say, 'I'm going to walk away' and defuse the situation. It is more masculine to step back and cool your head. I ask everybody here and everyone in the general community to keep an eye out for our female friends for any sign of violence.

As I said earlier, at times there may be no signs of actual physical injury to the person. It can be emotional or mental violence, and I will talk about this with regard to suicide later on. It is something we may not be able to see but, if there is a change of attitude, a change of mannerism or a change in the way our female friends operate, maybe they are hiding something. We can ask, 'Are you alright?' but if they say yes, it does not mean there is nothing behind the scenes. I would ask everybody to look at our female friends and associates very closely and report any signs at all to the authorities.

I know other members have spoken in this house this morning. I support this 100 per cent, and I encourage everybody here to at least speak about this but also speak about it outside of this house here and promote it out in the communities and our regions. The member for Stuart always brings very worthwhile motions to this house. They are not always political. They are about the general communities out there. Again, I congratulate the member for Stuart on bringing this to the house.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (12:30): I also rise today to support this motion and commend the member for Stuart for bringing it to the attention of the house. I support White Ribbon Day in its entirety, and I also encourage men to swear an oath to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.

As you have heard, White Ribbon is Australia's only national male-led campaign to end men's violence against women. They have a great vision for all women to live in safety, free from all forms of men's violence. We have heard a little bit about their mission today. It is clear that women's safety is certainly a man's issue as well. I note that this group's ongoing campaign works through many initiatives: primary initiatives involving awareness raising, education, and various programs not only with youth in schools but also workplaces and across the broader community.

We have also heard that, globally, White Ribbon is actually the world's largest male-led movement to end men's violence against women. It originated, I believe, in Canada in 1991, and is now active in more than 60 countries across the world. It began in Australia in 2003 as part of UNIFEM, which is now UN Women, and formally became a foundation in 2007.

The campaign obviously runs all year, but I wanted to bring to members' attention that there is a wide array of ways in which they can become part of White Ribbon. I certainly intend to take the oath in due course, but I note that there are six main ways of becoming involved in White Ribbon. One is to become an ambassador, another is to become an advocate and another is to be involved through the workplace, then through schools and with young people. You can also become a supporter through grassroots activities and then, finally, you can also become a partner to engage with and be involved in the strategic activities to expand the reach and impact of White Ribbon.

I was looking at some of the statistics, and some of them have been brought to the attention of members today, in relation to violence against women. The facts that I saw were amazing in regard to how large this issue is. I will certainly put my weight behind supporting this cause wherever I can, both in this place and also in my electorate.

I note that close to half of all women—they say about 40 per cent—have experienced violence since the age of 15. Not only that, it is said that just under one-third of women have experienced physical assault. In addition, it is shocking to hear that, of that number, nearly one in five women have experienced sexual assault, and nearly one in six women have experienced violence from a current or previous partner in their lifetime.

This is a massive issue. I commend again the member for Stuart for bringing this motion to the attention of the house. I think we all have a duty here as elected representatives of this place to get involved and support this worthy and admirable cause wherever we can. I commend the motion to the house.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (12:34): It goes without saying that we agree with all the things we have heard this morning about this motion. I would like to point out, too, that one of the things that I am most concerned about is the portrayal of violence in film and TV. If we have those sorts of examples before us all the time in movies and on television, and not the examples that we are talking about, they are the sorts of things that will help change community views on violence not against women in particular, but against anybody.

In terms of violence, as we have heard, the statistics are fairly horrific. If we do not know someone who has had that lived experience, we have experienced it ourselves. In my childhood, growing up in Sydney, I had a father who came home from the war very unhappy with a whole pile of issues. It was definitely a lived experience for us as children. The thing that really is important is that people know what to do when they see violence. As children, we would run out into the yard with a whistle to alert our neighbours to come in. That might seem an old-fashioned method of dealing with the problem, but it is actually important that, when the problem is discovered, something is done about it. One person going in to confront someone who is very angry is not really the answer, so we need to have ways that people can join together in groups to help people who are obviously troubled about something and need to speak to people about it.

As part of the very useful intern program through the University of Adelaide this year, an intern assigned to me has done a paper on the role of companion animals in domestic violence situations. We often hear and know—and, indeed, the paper will show that when I speak on it in more detail—that people who have pets are reluctant to leave them behind, and it is often one of the reasons that women say they stay longer than they perhaps should. It is also true that partners who perform violent acts on their animals are only one step away from being further involved in violence.

I hope to look at a way that we can introduce help for people, to have their pets boarded, so that when they do decide to leave, if that is what they decide to do, pets are safe and come with them. It is a really sad thing to think that companion animals are tied up in all of this. We also know that people who perpetrate violence against animals in front of children embed in children that sort of behaviour as being normal.

I think all the good points that have been raised this morning are terrific. It is marvellous to see people taking action, and I look forward to seeing more action on this in the community and to bring to the house in more detail the paper on pets and domestic violence after I have had a chance to read it thoroughly.

Mr WINGARD (Mitchell) (12:37): I also rise today in support of the member for Stuart bringing this motion before the house, recognising White Ribbon Day and encouraging all men to swear an oath to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women. As we have heard here today, I do not think it is acceptable in any way, shape or form to witness or to do violence against women. It is appalling, and everyone, I think, in the house would concur with that.

We have heard people talk about the different ways you can get involved—by becoming an ambassador, swearing the oath or buying a pin—but I really believe the White Ribbon message is one to be lived. I am proud to say that I am of a generation of men who have been very outspoken and made it very clear that violence against women is totally unacceptable. I note that it was in 1991 that this movement first originated in Canada. It is now active in more than 60 countries, and it is the largest male-led movement to end violence against women. I mention 1991 because at that time I was aged 20, and at the time I became a young adult—

Mr Pederick interjecting:

Mr WINGARD: Yes, you become a young adult at the age of 20. I am really fortunate, I suppose, to be part of the evolution that is speaking out against violence against women, but also of a generation that has lived the White Ribbon movement. The White Ribbon campaign works through primary prevention initiatives involving awareness raising and education, programs with youth, schools, workplaces and across the broader community.

White Ribbon began in Australia in 2003 as a movement, as was pointed out by the member for Hartley. White Ribbon Australia observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, also known as White Ribbon Day, annually on 25 November. White Ribbon Day signals the start of 16 days of activism to stop violence against women, which ends on Human Rights Day on 10 December. As we point out, it is fantastic to have these days or weeks where it is brought to the attention of the public per se, but I think it is great that we acknowledge it as something that, as I said earlier, must be lived. It is a movement that must be lived not one that is just singled out for a day or a week in a year.

As far as violence against women goes, we have heard some of the stats and I will repeat some of them because they are worth noting just to drive home the point. Over 12 months, on average, one woman is killed every week as a result of intimate partner violence; a woman is most likely to be killed by her male partner in her home; domestic and family violence is the principal cause of homelessness for women and their children; intimate partner violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and ill health in Australian women aged 15 to 44; one in three women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by someone known to them; one in four children are exposed to domestic violence, which is a recognised form of child abuse; the cost of violence against women to the Australian economy is estimated to rise to $15.6 billion per annum; one in five women experience harassment in the workplace; one in five women over 18 have been stalked during their lifetime; there is increased risk of mental health, behavioural and learning difficulties from childhood exposure to intimate partner violence; children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to perpetrate this violence; domestic violence impacts on an employee's ability to perform tasks in the workplace; and violence against women in the workplace impacts on the organisational climate and employees' sense of wellbeing.

You can see from some of those facts how damning they are and how important it is, for all the obvious reasons but for more in depth reasons, to stamp out violence against women pretty much right across the board. I have had a number of constituents come to me, which has been one of the less pleasing parts of this role since I have been a member of this place, clearly panicked and in a very distressed state about their living conditions and the threat of violence against them, people who have lived through domestic violence and people who are working very hard to remove themselves from that situation.

On the flip side of that, I have also seen some wonderful organisations that have been working extremely hard with people in these positions. I would like to commend the Salvation Army and a number of their people who I have had through my office and worked with very closely to try to help people in situations where they feel they are under threat from domestic violence. The Salvation Army does a marvellous job in tirelessly helping people. As the member for Florey said earlier, there are people who are in a domestic situation where they feel they cannot leave their home or they have extenuating circumstances that make it very hard to leave their home and they feel they are forced to stay in a situation that is potentially threatening. It is a very disturbing place to be and they are very disturbing stories to hear.

Working with the Salvation Army was fantastic for me, just to see these great groups like that out there helping people in these difficult situations. As I say, there are plenty of great things we get to do in this role and plenty of people we get to help, and whilst I would help anyone in those situations, when you are confronted with it and you see it it is very alarming, it is very shocking and it drives home the point of why we must support the motion the member for Stuart has put forward. I again commend him for bringing it to the attention of the house because it is something that we need to be very aware of, not only on the day (25 November) but every day of the year. We need to be very aware that whilst it is something that may not directly impact on us, there are people around us who are experiencing this and when and where we can help we really must do so.

White Ribbon Day is about recognising the positive role that men can play in preventing violence against women. I talked about the White Ribbon movement and having lived through it as a young man, and grown into an older man now, and seeing the great work they have done. It is fantastic that the White Ribbon movement is so accepted, so understood and so acknowledged in society and it has really played a very big role in, I think, bringing this to the forefront and hopefully helping to reduce domestic violence against women.

We talk about the movement and how important it is to recognise that domestic violence is not just perpetrated by men against women, and that is something that should also be noted at this time. Domestic violence is not just violence perpetrated by men against women. It is important to open dialogue and discussion about all types of domestic violence, so that all victims, no matter their age or gender, can feel brave enough to come forward and seek help. That is a real key and a real great initiative of what the White Ribbon movement does; they make it so that people feel comfortable and brave enough to come forward. It creates an environment for them to be able to do that.

Domestic violence takes many shapes and forms, which include long-term psychological and emotional attacks, breaking down even the strongest of people. Not all bullies are the physically strong attacking the physically weak. Not all domestic violence involves a black eye or visible signs of abuse. Mental torture can be as damaging, and sometimes has long-lasting impacts that never heal. Not all domestic violence is perpetrated by strong men on vulnerable women. It is important that we take the time to consider that bullying comes in all shapes and sizes, and that shapes and sizes are not always what we expect.

We must be wary of falling into the path of not only supporting those whom we typically expect to be the victims of bullying or domestic violence; we must also train our emergency services personnel, social workers, doctors, teachers and others to look for the unlikely victims, the ones who keep quiet and suffer in silence. Domestic violence is not a postcode problem. It does not just impact the poor or uneducated. It is independent of wealth, education or social standing. We must give victims of violence the courage to speak up without the fear of ridicule or disbelief.

In closing, I would like to point out the fact I mentioned that the movement came about when I was a young man. Now, being an older man and the parent of children—two boys and two girls—I think it drives home the message even more. Having young children and knowing the impact that domestic violence has on them, it is important, again, as a role model to make sure that you can talk, as the member for Florey did, about other factors that can impact on the perception of domestic violence for young people, be they television or movies. I think as a parent it is important to keep a check on that and to make sure that there is no undue pressure or influence put on your children through those mediums or in the home.

I conclude by saying how important it is that we not only recognise White Ribbon Day and the movement there, but that we live the White Ribbon movement every day in our society. As role models and figures in our society, it is very important that we do pass on that message in every way, shape or form that we can, to all those around us, to young people and to people in our communities. I think it is a big part of our responsibility of being in this place, and I do accept that responsibility with great honour and hope to live up to all expectations and in the future continue to be a strong advocate for White Ribbon Day.

Mr KNOLL (Schubert) (12:48): It has been quite surprising how many of these confronting issues we deal with in parliament, whether it be domestic violence, prostitution or a whole host of other things. It has been difficult at times to confront and understand some of the not so nice things that exist in our society. I first of all commend the member for Stuart on this motion. Can I say how important it is for the Schubert electorate. In a previous motion brought to this place on domestic violence, there was a broad discussion, and I said at the time that there are approximately 150 families in my electorate who have instances where domestic violence has been perpetrated against women—150 families. I keep repeating that figure, because it is not good enough. It is something that my community needs to grapple with, get over, deal with and move on.

To that end, I believe that my role as a local leader is to get involved and do what I can. Something small I am going to do tomorrow morning is be out at the Nuri Foodland, or the co-op, as we call it in the Barossa, for my local White Ribbon Day barbecue. I look forward to serving sausages and providing a gentle reminder to all those with whom we come into contact that this is not okay and that as a community we are doing what we can to move on.

But there is more that I would like to do, and I have been lucky enough to be working with the Northern Domestic Violence Service and also the police, my local LSA, to help change this culture. I think it is important that we find ways to actively change the culture, and White Ribbon Day is certainly part of it, but, as previous speakers have said, it cannot just be confined to one day or a week: it has to be a constant focus.

What I am going to do with my local NDVS and police is go out into community groups and spread the message, encouraging young people to sign up to the pledge to help bring about generational change in the culture and the way that we deal with domestic violence. We are hoping to go into local sporting clubs and predominantly male-dominated sporting clubs, giving them the message that this is not okay and that our generation and the next generation are going to be at the forefront helping to stamp this out of Australian and South Australian culture.

We need as a society, and especially as men, to stand up and say it is not good enough. We need to call it what it is. We need to not stand idly by. The motion brought forward today deals with all those things and it is fantastic that we can debate it in this place, but it does need to translate into action. That is why I thought I would put on the record a couple of the things I am doing in my local community to try to address this problem so that it is not just about politicians getting up and speaking in parliament but that it is about real action and real effective change that helps to improve the culture of this beautiful place we call home.

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (12:51): I too rise to speak about this very important motion regarding White Ribbon Day. I commend the member for Stuart for bringing forward another fine motion.

A bit of the history around White Ribbon Day has been stated over and over, but I will put on the record that the 1999 United Nations General Assembly declared 25 November as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. While the white ribbon is its iconic symbol, the White Ribbon foundation was formed in Australia in 2003, and White Ribbon Australia is Australia's only national male-led primary prevention campaign to end men's violence against women. White Ribbon Day also signals the start of the 16 days of activism to stop violence against women which ends on 10 December which, of course, is Human Rights Day.

I concur with you, Deputy Speaker, that the modern day TV, the modern day video and modern day interactive video games are a real fuel for violence of all descriptions. I was watching a show late last night and was horrified at the violence, but it is just a modern day TV show and modern day viewing. That is something I would like to see reviewed, over time. It is a crazy world we live in.

I declare that I have witnessed domestic violence and I have been touched by domestic violence, particularly as a younger fellow but, also, in my role as a member of parliament. I have been to a number of incidents around domestic violence. I also commend our police force because they encounter domestic violence on a daily basis. What they have to deal with certainly is touching.

Domestic violence is traditionally seen as a hidden issue and, in many instances, it happens behind closed doors, but it should be everybody's business. There is a need to have more community education so more people talk about it and domestic violence is part of discussion so that it is talked about and dealt with and frowned upon, so that people are aware that everyone is watching.

On average, as we have seen, one women is killed every week. The member for Bragg has noted that at the moment it is more than that. In some cases, it is almost two a week. I think that is of grave concern. It is having a devastating impact on families, and, particularly, children.

It is important to note that the Riverland is holding a White Ribbon Day event next Tuesday on the Berri riverfront and I will be in attendance. I will be taking the oath and making myself a White Ribbon Ambassador. I would also like to note that the current White Ribbon Day ambassadors—Reggie Black, Geoff Carson, Ashley Couzens and Brad Sargent—are great ambassadors. They are great role models within the Riverland community and they are just some of the voices and advocates for White Ribbon Day.

Centacare Murraylands Domestic Violence Service services the Riverland, Adelaide Hills, Murray Bridge, the Coorong areas and has offices in Berri and Murray Bridge. It has a far outreach service to Mount Barker, Loxton, Renmark, Waikerie and elsewhere. The service covers a population of about 70,000 people, and an area of about 49,000 square kilometres. The Murraylands Domestic Violence Service is funded by government to provide support and supported accommodation for women and children experiencing domestic violence. This service deals with about 550 individuals per quarter. However, the funding is only there to deal with about 400 cases but in the last financial year the local staff worked with more than 700 families—and 700 families is significant.

A recent survey by that organisation of 100 local women showed that 48 per cent did not report domestic violence incidents to police and 66 per cent of women had lost count of how many times they had been physically assaulted. That is an alarming statistic.

I also acknowledge the efforts of Salvation Army in this area and I acknowledge other organisations dealing with domestic violence and, once again, I particularly acknowledge the police who deal with domestic violence on a daily basis. No-one should have to live with domestic violence and it is vital that our communities continue to educate people that domestic violence is never okay. White Ribbon Day is an important initiative and I encourage everyone to attend events being held in their electorates. Anyone affected by domestic violence can call the one 1800RESPECT hotline to provide help and information. I commend the motion to the house.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I call the honourable member for Stuart, to close the debate.

Ms DIGANCE: Can I speak to this?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Only very quickly. You weren't on the list; I have made arrangements—you've got a minute.

Ms DIGANCE: Maybe I can seek leave to continue after.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, that was not the purpose of the exercise. If you were going to speak we would have appreciated notice.

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (12:57): I apologise, madam. I will cut to the chase. I wanted to speak about the plight of children in particular in relation to violence, as a group that is exposed to violence against women. ABS personal safety reports show that almost 1.2 million women around Australia had experienced partner violence at some time in their lives. There is a large body of work on the impact of domestic violence on these children. The report says exposure to domestic violence or being a victim themselves may affect children differently depending on their circumstances and may also affect them differently as they grow older.

Several studies have found that toddlers from violent homes expressed emotionally distressed behaviour less often than other children; nonetheless, common developmental problems in small children include excessive irritability, regressive behaviour around language and toilet training, sleep disturbances, emotional distress and a fear of being alone.

In summary, children who are exposed to domestic violence and witnessing violence against women do suffer along life's journey. Some manage to become self-actualising adults who can champion the cause against domestic violence, and that is significant. I commend White Ribbon Day and its acknowledgement and I commend the fact that deep at the heart of this is the education program. I think education is the key to changing our values and our attitudes towards violence against women in society. So, member for Stuart, thank you for raising this important matter today in recognition of White Ribbon Day.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. T.R. Kenyon.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 14:00.

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