Hansard

Domestic violence

Motion

Hon Ayor Makur Chuot (11:29 am) without notice: I move:

That the Legislative Council acknowledges the Cook Labor government's support for families affected by domestic violence. We stand in solidarity with those families and urge everyone to unite to address this urgent issue.

Family violence leaves deep wounds in our community that are tough to heal. The path to recovery is very challenging. It is heartbreaking to see many people in our community still suffering with this issue. Imagine a world in which we can learn to love each other and in which we can learn to accept one another. That would be a world in which we could all repair damage that may otherwise never be repaired in our communities.

I am so proud to be in our Labor Cook government, which is fully committed to ending family and domestic violence in our communities. We recognise tackling these issues requires significant effort from everyone, and investment and collaboration. The safety of our children and young people is the priority for our government. For me, as a mother in this Parliament, one of the key policy issues that I stand for is supporting our young people because they are our future generation. We cannot ignore the crisis many families are facing in our state.

Since 2017, our Cook Labor government has taken a strong step to fight family and domestic violence in our communities. It created the first Minister for Prevention of Family Domestic Violence and committed an additional $550 million to support and prevent family and domestic violence. I want to congratulate Minister Jessica Stojkovski on her appointment as the new Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence. As someone who has worked very closely with Jess, I am confident that she and our government will continue to make progress in improving the lives of victims and preventing the horrific incidents that we see in our community.

Today we are confronted with a heartbreaking and urgent issue affecting countless households across Western Australia—family and domestic violence. I personally find it very alarming that around 30% of women in our state have experienced family and domestic violence, often involving children. Domestic violence is devastating not only to its immediate victims but also leaves lasting scars on families and communities. It is deeply concerning when individuals use their traditions and culture as an excuse to abuse women. Coercive control must be recognised as a form of family and domestic violence that causes serious harm, even when it does not involve physical abuse apparently. Various types of abuse exist, including emotional abuse, verbal abuse, isolation from friends and family, and financial control. For instance, consider a woman who is denied access to shared financial resources so she stays in an unsafe environment or a child who faces neglect as a punishment for a partner's actions. I have seen that in many cases. These situations create traps for individuals and can lead to very uncontrolled family violence.

I and many of us have witnessed coercive control destroy lives and contribute to mental health issues within our families. Unfortunately, many people still normalise these behaviours. They think it is normal. They think it is okay to abuse your wife or your partner. It is okay to not talk about it. It is okay not to seek help because apparently you will get your partner in trouble with the police. For me, I normally put the question: What is better? I think it is better to seek help so that you can save your family.

According to a study completed in 2021, national attitudes toward domestic violence have worsened. Despite earlier progress in promoting societal rejection of family and domestic violence, the commitment to ending this issue has levelled up. It is essential to note that some community members have negatively contributed to this trend. Again, I sometimes wish we could pause and put ourselves in the victim's shoes. It is truly horrific.

The tragic shooting in Floreat last year reminds us that these acts of violence are not isolated incidents. It highlights a profound connection of power and control that can lead to domestic violence. One of the most heartbreaking stories that weighs heavily on my heart is that of Janet Dweh—a mother brutally murdered just weeks away from giving birth. Janet was attacked by her partner in 2021 in her home, leaving behind her children who will grow up without a mother's love and guidance. It was so sad to attend her funeral with many community members. Just seeing her kids broke my heart.

Tragedies like Janet's compel us to prioritise prevention and support those who are vulnerable in our communities. I have witnessed cases of domestic violence growing up, and I have watched many of them on Australian media. I remember when I came to Australia that I came here for a better life. As someone who lost a father in war, all I saw growing up was the war or moving in between countries with my mother. I never thought I would come to Australia and still see a progressive society with such alarming numbers of family and domestic violence incidents.

One personal story is of my very own cousin who lost her mother when she was only six months old. As the years go on, she is still impacted; her life and that of many of her family are still impacted. She often tells me, "Cuz, I am so lonely without my mother." The experiences of family and domestic violence serve as a reminder that even 35 years after my cousin lost her mum, as have many others in our community, more cases of tragedies happen every day. It is heartbreaking to hear stories of women who have been killed with their children or left disabled, left scarred, mentally destroyed and no longer able to look after themselves and their kids. Many of them are left with nothing.

I recently heard another shocking story of a woman whose husband sold their home without telling her, just because she cannot understand. He abused her for many years and left her and the children with nothing. It is so hard to believe that someone who was once supposed to love you can do all those things to you.

When we think about such powerful stories, I remember the victims. We need to understand that real change starts with us in our communities. To stop family violence, we need to talk and normalise these conversations—from sport clubs to schools with our children, and churches and families. It is not just okay for the government to be talking about family and domestic violence by itself. Yes, we can design policies, but it needs to be a community effort. Our government has started a program to help people and communities fight family and domestic violence. As leaders, we must collaborate with local groups that support individuals who have been impacted by family and domestic violence.

I have strongly supported our government’s efforts to make it harder for people to own guns and other weapons. Violence should not be accepted anywhere, whether it is out on the street or not. Personally, I cannot accept it because I have been deeply impacted growing up.

Our reform in Western Australia is aligned with measures implemented by the Albanese government, including the introduction of a mandatory 10-day family and domestic violence leave. Increasing the number of safe spaces for victims is something that this government has done well. We have expanded the capacity of refuges by around 30%, providing safe spaces for victims and their children. The Safe at Home program allows victim-survivors to remain in their homes safely after they have been impacted and perpetrators have been removed from their space. We have boosted funding for this program with $11.5 million dedicated to creating one-stop hubs. We established one-stop hubs in Mirrabooka, where I proudly grew up, and in Kalgoorlie. At the hubs, victims can have access to multiple services in one place. We have expanded support services. We have invested in rapid rehousing initiatives to help women and children transit from refuges into the private rental market.

We have done good in primary prevention. This is the first government in Western Australia to focus on primary prevention. We have launched a $72.6 million package aiming to stop family violence. I am so happy for the Respectful Relationships educational program that is being actively implemented in schools to teach children about healthy relationships and respect. Education is vital for fostering a culture of consent and equality and reducing likelihood of future violent behaviours from our children. It is something that is so, so powerful, and I am proud of this government for doing that.

We continue to support community awareness initiatives such as the 16 Days campaign as well as collaborative system reforms. Our newly released family and domestic violence system reform is supported by $96 million. The other initiative I will mention before my time finishes is the targeted support program for our Aboriginal communities. The Aboriginal Family Safety Strategy 2022–2032 is a key part of our commitment to address family and domestic violence. Thank you.

Hon Klara Andric (11:44 am): I, too, rise this morning to talk about this impactful issue. I take this opportunity to thank my colleague and good friend Hon Ayor Makur Chuot for putting this motion before the house today. It is an issue that unfortunately impacts so many women, and it is an issue that is not limited to where you come from or who you are or your status. Domestic violence impacts women from across the board, the sector, and across boundaries, states and countries. I thank Ayor for bringing this motion to the house and for detailing her very raw stories of loved ones and close friends who have fallen victim to this dreadful, dreadful disease, I will call it, that impacts our society.

I rise in support of what the Cook Labor government has done, certainly in our two terms in government from 2017. I rise in support of what the Cook Labor government has done to address family and domestic violence here in Western Australia. It is an issue, as I said, that affects every single part of our community, and it leaves deep and lasting harm for victim-survivors, particularly the women and children it impacts. It requires a coordinated and long-term response. Our government has made this a priority and the work we have done over the past eight and a half years includes some of the most significant and wide-reaching commitments to this issue in our state's history. As a woman, and as a woman of the WA Labor Party, I stand proudly—so proudly—by what our government has done over the course of the last two terms.

Since 2017, we have invested over $550 million in prevention and response. We also established the state's first dedicated ministry for the prevention of family and domestic violence. I commend the government for this; it was a big and very important step that was needed to take seriously our response to domestic violence in our state. By doing this, we recognised that addressing the issue required leadership, coordination and cultural change. This government has taken significant steps to improve support for victims of domestic violence and strengthen early intervention services.

I will list some of the services that our government has actively implemented, starting with the four new women's refuges right across our state. They are in Peel; in the South Metropolitan Region in Kwinana; Zonta in the East Metropolitan Region; as well as 13 units at Ruah's Angela Wright Bennett Centre. These provide safe accommodation and wraparound services for women and children escaping abuse.

Over the course of the last Parliament, I unfortunately met with many women from across the South Metropolitan Region who reached out to my electorate office for various issues that they were facing, some so scary that I would not be able to describe them in this chamber. I met with many women, and one of the biggest issues that they talked about constantly was the disengagement of police from other services and having to repeat their story so many times. The implementation of wraparound services at the hubs is very important because every time a woman has to speak about her story, her journey and what has happened to her and her children, she relives those moments. We, as a government, with all the leaders, organisations and departments, have to collectively work together so that we ensure we have provided every opportunity for safety nets to be there for women who are escaping domestic violence.

As I mentioned, 13 units at Ruah's Angela Wright Bennett Centre provide accommodation and wraparound services for women and children. We have also funded a total of 45 refuges and safe houses right across Western Australia, nearly half of which, I am very pleased to say, are located in regional areas. This ensures that support is not limited to just the metropolitan region of our state and that services reach communities that have often been stretched. We expanded the Safe at Home program, allowing women and children to remain safely in their own home with upgraded security while the perpetrator is removed. An additional $11.5 million has been committed to this program to help more families avoid the upheaval of fleeing and rebuilding elsewhere.

We have created Western Australia's first two family and domestic violence one-stop hubs. One is located in Mirrabooka and the other in Kalgoorlie. Women can go to these hubs to seek legal advice, legal services, housing support and police counselling services, which are pivotal for many in these circumstances. Essentially, we have created a one-stop hub for women and children. We have new hubs underway in Armadale and Broome, and a $14 million investment is supporting the expansion of the Perth hub through Ruah.

We also released a five-year family and domestic violence system reform plan back in April 2024. It is backed by $96 million in funding. The plan focuses on improving risk assessment and management, workforce development, and coordination between police, health, the justice system and vital community services. We established a lived-experience advisory group, receiving over 190 applications from victim-survivors and advocates. At the end of the day, Deputy President, it is those people who have that lived experience who can provide us with the best information on what we as a government and a society need to do to help with the prevention of domestic violence in our state. I was very pleased to hear that a very broad range of victims had input to the advisory group because this group will ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable will be heard. The voices of those most impacted will help shape the policies and also the programs designed to protect them.

We have delivered some of the most comprehensive legislative reforms in the country, members. Whilst I am on my feet in this chamber, I will once again state that, as a member of the WA Labor Party and this government, that is something of which I am so very proud. We have introduced new criminal offences with stronger penalties for breaches of family violence restraining orders (FVROs), making it clear that orders protecting victims are not just optional; they are enforceable and serious, and we created a new offence for non-fatal strangulation, recognising its role as a serious predictor of escalating violence.

Hon Michelle Hofmann (11:54 am): I begin by commending the efforts that have been made to support individuals and families affected by family and domestic violence. I note that tackling the scourge of family and domestic violence is absolutely a bipartisan goal. I thank the honourable member for bringing this important matter to the attention of the house and I commend her for shining a light on the tragedy of the circumstances that we are witnessing all too often across this state. My heart certainly goes out to all those who are impacted personally and the ripple effects are surely not captured by what we can measure.

The sad fact is that we are not doing enough. This is not just a statement of belief, but evidenced in the appalling statistics that we are seeing. Last year, as reported by Nine news on 30 October, there was the prediction:

Western Australia is on track for its worst year of domestic violence offences as new data shows restraining orders are being breached every 44 minutes.…This year is set to be the worst for family and domestic violence offences in Western Australia's history and on track to pass 40,000 crimes committed.

In addition to the statistics, we also have comments from the agencies working in this space. They are telling us that the reported statistics are only a small fraction of the actual incidents that we are seeing. It makes matters so much worse that they have been severely under-reported. I asked the government to release figures to tell us how many family and domestic violence incidents we had in Western Australia in the past five years. I asked how many deaths—too many deaths—there had been of victims of family and domestic violence. Every single incident is unacceptable. The situation is quite bleak and dire. This government has brought in some great measures, but it has also overseen the highest increase in offences in the last decade. I urge that more funding be considered not only for the very critical support services for those who have been affected, but also to look at the education side of things. We need to address the culture in our society because something is clearly broken. We are trying to tackle this and the message is just not getting through. We are sending through mixed messages to our culture and it is time that we focus more fully on how we address what it means to respect women and what it means to respect others and to care for children.

I thank the member for bringing this matter to the attention of the house, and I urge the Cook Labor government to do more to tackle this issue.

Hon Dr Katrina Stratton (Parliamentary Secretary) (11:58 am): Thank you, Deputy President. I, too, thank the honourable member for bringing this motion to the chamber. I particularly want to thank her for telling some of the stories of people in our community and I acknowledge her emotion because I think that shows us so clearly that domestic violence is not something that happens out there. It does not happen to other people; it is something that impacts every person and every community. I would invite everyone to consider perhaps whether or not they know it, they probably know somebody who has or is experiencing family and domestic violence. It is, indeed, in social work terms what we used to refer to as "a wicked problem". It has no single cause and therefore we need to have multiple responses. We need proactive and sophisticated work to address it. But one thing that is really clear is that family and domestic violence is a gendered crime.

Women are much more likely to experience repeated and severe domestic violence and experience it from men who are known to them. Usually it is an intimate partner but in other circumstances it is a male family member. Family and domestic violence is deeply rooted in gender inequity, including women's financial independence and their capacity and ability to participate in the workforce. Research also shows very clearly that there is an increase in the risk of violence when rigid gender stereotypes and roles are adhered to. They reinforce dominance, control and inequality, and embed power dynamics.

I want to focus in particular on coercive control, which is often hard to recognise both inside and outside a relationship because it can often be subtle, it escalates slowly and it is a pattern of behaviour rather than incidents. We often see coercive control being normalised, and even romanticised, in popular culture. I think in particular of shows like Married at First Sight in which what are actually controlling behaviours are seen as some kind of demonstration of passion or interest. Like all domestic violence, coercive control is ultimately about exerting power over the victim or survivor. It is no accident; it is a very deliberate and planned behaviour. It is particularly aimed at depriving women of their independence; isolating them from family and friends; creating fear and impacting their sense of safety; eroding self-esteem; limiting participation, not just in economic life but also community and family life; restricting financial autonomy; gaslighting; monitoring—we have seen technology being used in monitoring; following women; and threats and intimidation, including threats to contravene privacy and confidentiality.

We often hear that domestic violence happens even in the best of homes, and in actual fact non-physical forms of violence such as shouting, provoking arguments and controlling behaviours are more common among offenders with higher levels of education and employment. Those who self-report coercive and controlling behaviours are men who are more likely to have completed year 12 or above and earn $100,000 or more per annum.

I want to give a couple of examples that demonstrate the complexity of coercive control and why the ongoing work and consultation that the Cook Labor government is doing with stakeholders and, most importantly, women with lived experience, is so important in making sure we get our responses right. I was a social worker at King Edward Memorial Hospital for a number of years, and, sadly, pregnancy is often a time when family and domestic violence starts in a relationship. It is about a loss of control. It is about a woman's body belonging to somebody other than the man and a change in the dynamic of that relationship. Some common things we would see is men who refuse to have their name recorded on the birth certificate. To have an absence against the name of the father obviously has a very significant impact on a child's identity, but at that time it also meant that those men could not be pursued for child support. That one action, that one refusal, will continue to have an impact on the mother and the child for the duration of that child's life.

There were men who would insist on being present for appointments, including during intimate examinations, and I do not mean for support but for the purposes of monitoring. They often became jealous, particularly of male practitioners. Of course, it limited a woman's ability to have a private conversation with her healthcare provider. We would see pressure for no pain relief because he would prefer a drug-free delivery. I know of women who were often told that they were monitored and got text messages throughout the day informing them that he knew where they were and who they were with. I know of women who have had no access to bank accounts, despite their own salary being paid into them, and having no independent access to funds. There is a long history of migrant women, particularly non–English speaking women, unknowingly committing Centrelink fraud by having forms put in front of them, being told to sign them because it will provide an income for the family and inadvertently claiming income they were not eligible for. During COVID—research has borne this out—there was a rapid and significant increase in coercive control, particularly in the denial of vaccines, of deliberately exposing women to people who were infected with COVID and contravening the COVID rules at the time.

Coercive control often intersects with financial abuse, and I acknowledge the work of the federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services that showed just how widespread financial abuse is in Australia. Zaneta Mascarenhas, the federal member for Swan, said that the statistics were shocking, with $1.7 billion in unpaid child support being just one example. There are many other examples of the misuse of financial platforms and products alongside government services to facilitate and perpetuate financial control. My sister is a finance broker and she is often devastated by how many times she works with women who do not know that they are partners in a business or do not know that they have debt against property, which then of course prevents them from recovering and moving forward because they cannot access further credit and debit products. This puts them at risk of homelessness and bankruptcy. Coercive control can leave people feeling trapped and powerless. The New South Wales Domestic Violence Death Review Team found that 97% of intimate partner homicides committed between 2000 and 2018 were preceded by coercive control, and in 27% of those homicides, there was no known history of physical violence.

The Cook Labor government is using a phased approach to criminalising coercive control. It started with the legislative reform of the Restraining Orders Act 1997 and will continue with a range of systemic reforms, including training for police and justice professionals. I am sure that many members have seen the community education program currently underway. The amendment to the Restraining Orders Act expanded the definition of "family violence" to include a reference to that pattern nature of coercive control behaviours.

In finishing, as the motion articulated, I, too, stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors, the women and children who have been subject to family and domestic violence. I am really proud to be a part of a government that recognises this and also continues to fight gender inequity in multiple ways, rather than reinforcing gender stereotypes couched in ideas about traditional family values.

Hon Sandra Carr (12:08 pm): I am really pleased to stand today to support the motion of my colleague and dear friend Hon Ayor Makur Chuot. I thank her for the raw and sincere way in which she presented some of the harsh realities of family and domestic violence. I do not think any of us should ever make any apologies for allowing the world around us to see the emotional impact that family and domestic violence has. It is just the very, very thin veneer of the surface damage caused to a whole community by family and domestic violence. It is very difficult to even collate a speech on this topic because family and domestic violence has such a vast and damaging impact across our whole community in a whole range of ways. People might complain about an aspect of their community—for example, youth crime in our community in Geraldton at the moment—but I really think if people tap into their own empathy and compassion, they might be able to peel back some of their layers and their own willingness to walk by particular standards, and they might see and be willing to participate in really transformative solutions.

When I was first planning my contribution today, I took a moment to stop and have a look at a site that, sadly, I feel compelled to visit regularly—Counting Dead Women Australia. As of 28 May, there were 19 women dead in Australia. That is more than the number of women who sit in this chamber. It is a devastating statistic. I note that, across the floor, Hon Michelle Hofmann asked for the statistics. The statistics exist—do your research. You mentioned at the start that you would like to discuss this in a bipartisan way and then proceeded to make it political. This is not a political issue, and I express my bipartisan disappointment that there are some people from this chamber who are on urgent parliamentary business. There is no more urgent parliamentary issue than the family and domestic violence crisis that we have in this state and in this country and that is emerging across the globe. There is no simple, neat solution. The solution is all people working together at every opportunity, not walking past standards. I find it really disappointing to have someone talk about a bipartisan approach and then use phrases like "also overseeing the highest rates of". You cannot have it both ways, honourable member.

Several members interjected.

Hon Sandra Carr: Again, thank you for your interjections; what a delightful opportunity to choose to do it. Honourable member, given that you have chosen to interject, I will also talk about one of your contributions yesterday. I will find it because I wrote it down as I thought: what a foul and disappointing comment. You described us as using our gun laws for political advantage and "an instance of crime to create some legislative rush", but failed to acknowledge that those laws existed before the murders of those two innocent women in Floreat. Those laws were well underway. They had been drafted and were already before Parliament. It had nothing to do with rush. It had everything to do with ways that the government was seeking to keep our community safer. So thank you for your interjection and the opportunity to correct the record.

There is a lot that the government has done to address family and domestic violence, and I think it is something that we should be doing together collectively. In that instance, I agree with the honourable member in a bipartisan way. But I think there is more than words in that statement. You cannot preface your contribution with that and then proceed to say something else. We need to work together. This is not political. It is hurting people around us, including my young cousin whose hair was falling out because she was so stressed from the violence she was witnessing and members of Hon Ayor Makur Chuot's community. We heard a very emotional and sincere contribution from Hon Rod Caddies, and I thank him for being brave enough to comment on his own life experience. It was a really brave and important contribution. It is particularly heartening to see men stand in this place and make those kinds of contributions.

There is a lot of work to be done. We are doing more work, and I will talk about the work we are doing. But it is very difficult to stand here and know that if all the women in this room were currently experiencing domestic violence, we would not be here to make our contributions. It is heartbreaking, it is terrifying and it is a really worrying development in our community. It is not something that we can politicise and decide that one party is responsible for or that one group has failed on. We have all failed. Every time a young man commits an act in our community that fails to meet what we know to be the right standard, we are collectively responsible. We have failed that young man, as well as the people who fall victim to that behaviour. We have not taught him to not cause harm. We have not taught him the impact of his violence. We have not taught him that with that physicality or the status that he might have been provided in society comes incredible responsibility to cause no harm—to not harm the people around him.

I agree again with honourable member Hofmann that education is vitally important in this process. An education campaign was announced by the government on 5 May to unmask and help people understand behaviours like coercive control. I believe those are particularly important because, as my colleague Hon Dr Katrina Stratton mentioned, with the proliferation of technology in our lives, there is a greater multiplicity of ways by which people can exercise coercive control. It is subtle and insidious, and it permeates people's lives before they have even really had time to comprehend and notice that it is taking place within their relationship. It is a very important part of the education package that the Cook government is offering.

I also note our evidence reform that is before the lower house at the moment. It is particularly important that we support victim-survivors of domestic violence and other forms of abuse. It has been a very difficult process historically. We do not need to dig too deeply to find the really alarming number of cases that are starting to be prosecuted for a whole range of reasons, not the least of which is the way that our justice system is struggling to find ways to adequately support victims that allow us to fall within the rule of law, and we know that this justice system is one of the better justice systems available to us at the moment. It does, however, come with a need for a much more significant body of work for those within the judiciary system. There needs to be a comprehensive education package for them, including those who sit at the higher levels of our courts, and I look forward to that happening in the very near future. I think it is particularly important.

During the election, in my own patch of the world in Geraldton, we made an announcement of $15.4 million for 12 new units for survivors of family and domestic violence, and I am really pleased that we will deliver that for our region. Sadly, we have very high rates of family and domestic violence. For some reason, the word "alcohol" popped into my mind. I remember that at one stage when I was speaking to the CEO of Desert Blue Connect, an organisation that I sat on the board of for a number of years, he shared with me the alarming fact that the rates of family and domestic violence skyrocket when there are football finals, and that is to do with alcohol and the elevated state that people find themselves in. For all the football lovers out there, it is that awful duality of our society whereby there are things that we love and celebrate, but we cannot be afraid to turn away from the dark underbelly of some of those things and the harms that they cause to people across all levels of society. Someone mentioned good families. I do not know what a good family is. I know what I think a good family is, but I think that sometimes we think of certain types of families as good families. All families have dark sides.

The Deputy President: I remind all members to refer to other members by their correct title and full name, please.

Hon Jackie Jarvis (Minister for Agriculture and Food) (12:18 pm): I will not take long. I know lots of people want to speak on this motion, so I will make a short contribution. I want to thank Hon Ayor Makur Chuot for her heartfelt contribution and all members for their contributions. I know that members either have lived experience of, know someone who has experienced or, through their professional journey, have had an experience of family and domestic violence. I want to echo Hon Sandra Carr's words that people should not apologise for feeling emotional when they speak about this issue. As I said, I will keep my contribution relatively short because I know that a lot of people want to speak on the motion.

I want to acknowledge that our government stands in solidarity with the families impacted and urge everyone to work together to address these issues. I note that Hon Dr Katrina Stratton, who has professional experience in this area, used the phrase "that wicked problem"—the problem for which there is no one single cause—so we need everyone to come together.

The Cook government is committed to stopping family and domestic violence and we recognise that significant effort and investment is required to tackle this issue by working hand in hand and in partnership with the broader community. The safety of children and young people, as well as women, is a priority of the Cook government. Since 2017, the Cook Labor government has focused on addressing the awfulness of domestic violence in Western Australia. It established the first ever ministry for the prevention of family and domestic violence in this state and has since invested $550 million in support and prevention efforts. This includes increasing refuge capacity by 30% and establishing the Safe at Home program to help victim-survivors. The Family and Domestic Violence Taskforce undertook important work across the sectors during 2023 and 2024, which is now informing the System Reform Plan to better coordinate responses across government departments, the Western Australia Police Force—which is quite often at the front line of this—and Aboriginal organisations in the broader community. We have passed significant legal reforms to family domestic violence laws, including introducing GPS monitoring for offenders, and will continue to legislate to protect vulnerable people, including introducing coercive control laws this term. Those laws will be introduced in a sensible manner and in consultation with the sector that gave us the feedback that a public education piece needs to happen first. I congratulate all those who have supported the government on that journey.

These initiatives, which have been rolled out over the past eight years, represent the biggest ever intervention by a WA government to tackle family and domestic violence. No government has done more to address this issue but, of course, there is always more to be done—and we will do more. During the state election, we committed to deliver $38.6 million in measures to address family and domestic violence in Western Australia. This includes $27.1 million to expand the capacity of refuges across the state, which allows organisations to continue their crucial work in supporting victim-survivors to leave dangerous perpetrators. This funding will create up to 14 new units in regional WA. The Safe at Home program will also receive an additional $11.5 million boost, helping women and children stay safely in their own homes after perpetrators have been removed. We undertook significant trauma-informed changes to the Restraining Orders Act, including increasing the existing maximum penalty of a breach of a restraining order. We have created a new offence for non-fatal strangulation. The creation of the declaration of someone with multiple family and domestic violence offences as a serial family violence offender is an Australian first. We introduced Residential Tenancy Act changes that make it easier to leave abusive environments, remove perpetrators from a lease or upgrade security at those homes. As I mentioned before, we will have a phased approach to coercive control. Changes to the Restraining Orders Act will include more training and awareness on coercive control. We introduced firearms reforms to get guns out of the hands of perpetrators.

Yesterday my colleague Hon Matt Swinbourn spoke about the shooting tragedy that happened a few years ago in Osmington, which is within kilometres of where I live with my family. As a member of that community, it was heartbreaking. I did not know the family well, but I knew of the mum and grandmother. I had met them in passing. Those beautiful children were being homeschooled by their mum and, clearly, a man who had some challenges, but certainly presented as a loving grandfather, a loving farmer and a pillar of the community. I think the message is that we do not know what goes on behind closed doors and, as a community, we all need to work together. Once again, thank you to Hon Ayor Makur Chuot for bringing this fantastic issue to the fore. I think the more we talk about it, the better we can tackle it. I do not think we spoke about FDV when I was young. Certainly, as a child, I do not think anyone spoke about it. I think the more we talk about it and the more we bring these kinds of debates to this place, the better we will all be. Thank you.

Hon Pierre Yang (Parliamentary Secretary) (12:23 pm): Deputy President, I thank you for the opportunity to make a contribution on this very important motion, which acknowledges the Cook government's support for families affected by domestic violence.

As we have heard from previous members, family and domestic violence can touch any family, and it can touch anyone. I think it is important that we take a bipartisan approach to this very important issue and take politics out of it. We should always remember that politics has no place in this issue. I acknowledge my very good friend Hon Ayor Makur Chuot for bringing this motion to this house and also for sharing her stories and experience with strong emotions. I want to acknowledge that. I want to congratulate my sister for sharing her stories.

In my previous life, I practised as a family law lawyer and during my time in the legal profession I saw a number of cases that involved clients who experienced family and domestic violence. I also learned, many moons back, that when there was a call from a partner, who generally tended to be the female partner, for assistance from the police, if that partner was under pressure from the other partner and they managed to patch up their differences, at least on the surface, when police arrived, the police might have left them after assessing the situation. Time and again, the partner who called police for assistance would be subject to further violence after the police left. By the time I was practising in the legal profession, that was not the case anymore. I was pleased to see that from my personal experience. I thought that that change was a sign of improvement in our systems. Once a call was made, the police would resolve the issue by either asking one of the partners to leave the scene, issuing a police restraining order or having the partners separated.

Nonetheless, in the remaining two minutes, I want to touch on one particular case in which I represented a client. This particular client called police because she was being subjected to family and domestic violence. Unfortunately, English was not her first language. She was not able to communicate with the police officers effectively and the partner managed to change the story and had my client removed from the house. We were able to provide her with assistance. We eventually achieved a reasonable outcome for her. But I want to highlight that communication, and communication in English, is very important in administering the process in family and domestic violence because sometimes, if communication is not carried out effectively, injustice could be the result.

We heard earlier from the minister and my colleagues about the support from the Cook Labor government. I am particularly pleased to see that, since coming to power in 2017, this government has dedicated a huge amount of effort and a huge amount of resources in supporting victims of family and domestic violence. It has highlighted one of the more insidious forms of family and domestic violence, which is coercive control. As I was driving to work today, I saw the huge billboard along Kwinana Freeway as we get into the city. There was an advertisement from the state government asking people to pay more attention to this form of family and domestic violence, being coercive control.

Motion lapsed, pursuant to standing orders.