Eleven MPs on the crossbench have signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for “coordinated action” to combat violence against women and children in Australia.
The crossbenchers, including Zoe Daniel, Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender, have set “long-term cultural change” as the goal in addressing gender-based violence, and to do so requires both “immediate actions” and “next steps” in the future.
The letter, published today, urges the Prime Minister to consider the crossbenchers’ suggestions on prevention, early intervention and response actions, especially ahead of the national cabinet meeting tomorrow.
“Violence against women is preventable, but we need to better identify risks and opportunities for intervention,” the letter reads.
“All too often when inquiries are conducted following these killings, we learn that there were numerous opportunities to intervene and prevent these deaths. It is too late at that point – we need to create a robust national effort to improve risk identification and justice system intervention in cases of male violence against women.”
According to Destroy the Joint’s Counting Dead Women, male violence has killed 28 women in 2024.
The crossbenchers said gender-based violence must be treated with “the same level of urgency we show acts of terrorism”, as women and children “are being terrorised across our nation”.
“We cannot let this be yet another moment of marching in the streets that does not deliver change,” the letter reads.
“We know that you know that.”
The crossbenchers suggest the call for a national Royal Commission, whilst well intentioned, would not uncover anything that the government already knows in terms of violence against women. The letter lists previous inquiries, including a House of Representatives inquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence and a National Women’s Safety Summit, as well as the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2015.
“Experts in the sector already know where resources are urgently needed,” the letter reads.
“Rather than spend a year and several hundred million dollars on a Royal Commission, while women are killed every week, we need to spend that money on accelerated action.”
Immediate action
As part of the “coordinated action across the spectrum” that the crossbenchers suggest in their letter, the first step is immediate action.
This includes reforms to bail, sentencing and how the justice system operates. The crossbenchers suggest reforms such as mandatory sentencing, consequences for breaching AVOs, electronic monitoring, abolishing the admission of “good character” references and a National Domestic Violence Register.
They also call for a “nationally coordinated mechanism” to record women who are killed by domestic violence, and to analyse their deaths.
“To better identify risk, we need consolidated data to identify red flags that are being missed in the system,” the letter reads.
“Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon’s Family Violence Homicide Prevention Initiative would build the evidence base, including knowledge of risk factors and intervention points, needed to interrupt trajectories of harm and violence escalation.”
The next steps
After the immediate action, the next steps would target more cultural and societal factors that exacerbate rates of domestic and family violence.
“Harmful, unregulated industries” such as violent pornography, misogynistic influencers on social media and gambling, among others, would be targeted in this next stage of addressing gender-based violence.
But violence against women won’t stop solely with conversations about respect, the crossbenchers said, noting the work of journalist and educator on coercive control Jess Hill. More “sustainable” and “consistent” funding for frontline services, including women’s refuges and affordable housing, is required. This would also help address the “financial pressures on families” that domestic and family violence exacerbates.
Government action plans including The National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan and the Escaping Violence Program must be “fully funded” to provide greater support for frontline workers.
“Frontlines services live hand to mouth,” the crossbenchers write in their letter, “constantly worrying about whether their funding will be renewed.”
Long-term cultural change
Ultimately, the goal of enacting these solutions is to create long-term cultural change: “To create a safe, fair, and equal society we need to properly fund consent and respectful relationships education and provoke men and boys to be more than bystanders.”
The crossbenchers conclude their letter by calling for boys to be taught the difference between healthy masculinity and toxic masculinity.
“Women cannot protect themselves from murder by men. Only men can stop this,” the letter reads.
“Not all men disrespect women and not all disrespect towards women results in violence. But all violence against women starts with disrespect.”
The crossbenchers are hoping to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after tomorrow’s national cabinet meeting with state and territory leaders, to further discuss their suggestions in the letter.
Crossbenchers who signed the letter:
- Zoe Daniel MP, Member for Goldstein
- Kylea Tink MP, Member for North Sydney
- Zali Steggall OAM MP, Member for Warringah
- Allegra Spender MP, Member for Wentworth
- Kate Chaney MP, Member for Curtin
- Dr. Monique Ryan MP, Member for Kooyong
- Dr. Sophie Scamps MP, Member for Mackellar
- Dr. Helen Haines MP, Member for Indi
- Andrew Wilkie MP, Member for Clark
- Andrew Gee MP, Member for Calare
- Rebekha Sharkie MP, Member for Mayo
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au for online chat and video call services.
If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit http://www.ntv.org.au.
Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.