The major parties have announced their plans to address domestic and family violence. How do they stack up?
- Written by Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor (Practice), Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University
In the past week, at least seven women[1] have been killed in Australia, allegedly by men. These deaths have occurred in different contexts – across state borders, communities and relationships. But are united by one truth: they are part of the ongoing national crisis of men’s violence against women and children.
While in the first four weeks of the election campaign there was silence[2] from the major parties on this issue, now – with one week to go – both have released their commitments.
The Coalition announced[3] its plan last night, following Labor’s promises[4] earlier in the week.
Neither represent a commitment to ending gender-based violence. They both propose a patchwork of largely reactive initiatives. These will fail to deliver holistic reform to prevent violence and to intervene early enough to meaningfully reduce it.
What has Labor pledged?
Labor’s “commitment to women[5]” announcement focuses on addressing financial abuse, a “fast growing and insidious form” of abuse. Key strategies proposed include:
preventing perpetrators from using tax and corporate systems to accrue debts as a form of coercive control
making perpetrators liable for debts incurred by the victim-survivor because of coercive control
and exploring options to stop perpetrators accessing the superannuation of victim-survivors after death.
Labor has also pledged $8.6 million for perpetrator responses, including early interventions for young people.
What about the Coalition?
The Coalition’s approach is much more scatter gun, providing a list of disconnected strategies. It outlines 14 commitments.
The announcement promises to improve support by expanding the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program[6] and the Leaving Violence Program[7] (which provides one-off funding to help cover the cost of leaving an abusive relationship).
The Coalition will also increase crisis helpline support to ensure victim-survivors “have their calls answered and get the immediate assistance they require”.
This is much needed. Frontline services are consistently under-resourced[8] and have been calling for at least $1 billion annually[9] to meet demand.
The question of funding
The Coalition’s $90 million pledge, with no clear timeframe or detail on how it will be distributed, represents less than 10% of what frontline services say is needed every year.
Labor’s earlier announcement does not detail the funding commitment that will be allocated to their suite of proposed initiatives, other than to say $8.6 million will be provided for perpetrator interventions.
Neither party has committed to multiyear funding models for domestic, family and sexual violence frontline services. This is essential for workforce retention and to ensure consistent delivery of trauma-informed care.
We cannot criminalise our way out
Law and order responses dominate the Coalition’s announcement. These include implementation of a national domestic violence register and the development of uniform national knife laws.
Legal accountability is important and we need to improve information sharing across state and territory borders. But we cannot police or prosecute our way out of a problem rooted in structural inequality and social attitudes. It also fails to recognise that for many victim-survivors, the criminal legal system can be re-traumatising[11] and does not meet their justice needs.
The Coalition also commits to introducing new offences for online coercive behaviour and spyware use. This would be a significant legal shift by introducing family and domestic violence offences and bail laws for certain abusive behaviours at the federal level.
It’s unclear how this would translate into state and territory criminal laws, or whether it is even necessary. All states and territories currently have laws prohibiting stalking and monitoring behaviours. Some states are in the early stages of developing or implementing coercive control offences[12].
The Coalition has also reiterated its 2023 promise[13] to hold a Royal Commission into sexual abuse in Indigenous communities.
Indigenous scholars and organisations have previously rejected[14] this proposal, particularly in light of the failure of the Northern Territory Intervention[15] which required the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act to implement[16].
Evidence shows First Nations-led solutions[17] should be prioritised over punitive approaches.
What’s missing?
The proposals from the two parties miss several critical areas.
There’s no mention of sexual violence. While it would be optimistic to hope this is yet to come, it’s disappointing to see it has fallen off the agenda.
The proposals don’t say anything about housing or recovery support beyond emergency accommodation. A lack of access to safe, long-term housing is one of the most significant barriers[18] for victim-survivors escaping and recovering from violence. In the middle of a broader housing crisis, this is an essential component of any strategy.
Children remain largely invisible[19]. While the Coalition’s announcement commits to improving child protection, it offers nothing on delivering age-appropriate crisis responses, and to support the recovery needs of children and young people as victim-survivors in their own right[20].
Read more: Australia had a national reckoning over domestic violence, but where's the focus this election?[21]
Much has been written in recent weeks about the need to effectively engage men and boys[22], but they’re also barely mentioned by either party.
Finally, there is no discussion of the need for greater monitoring and evaluation efforts[23]. We cannot fix what we do not measure.
Both parties’ announcements promise to build on the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children[24], which aspires to eliminate gender-based violence in one generation.
Nearly three years into the delivery of that plan, the persistent prevalence of this violence shows we must do more. We need visible, bipartisan leadership that treats this issue with the same gravity we afford to other national emergencies.
The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault. The Men’s Referral Service[25] (call 1300 766 491) offers advice and counselling to men looking to change their behaviour.
References
- ^ at least seven women (australianfemicidewatch.org)
- ^ there was silence (theconversation.com)
- ^ announced (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ Labor’s promises (alp.org.au)
- ^ commitment to women (alp.org.au)
- ^ Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program (www.dss.gov.au)
- ^ Leaving Violence Program (www.dss.gov.au)
- ^ consistently under-resourced (www.anrows.org.au)
- ^ $1 billion annually (newmatilda.com)
- ^ Mick Tsikas/AAP (photos.aap.com.au)
- ^ re-traumatising (apo.org.au)
- ^ coercive control offences (www.australianfamilylawyers.com.au)
- ^ 2023 promise (theconversation.com)
- ^ have previously rejected (www.snaicc.org.au)
- ^ failure of the Northern Territory Intervention (theconversation.com)
- ^ suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act to implement (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ First Nations-led solutions (theconversation.com)
- ^ most significant barriers (theconversation.com)
- ^ invisible (www.canberratimes.com.au)
- ^ in their own right (theconversation.com)
- ^ Australia had a national reckoning over domestic violence, but where's the focus this election? (theconversation.com)
- ^ men and boys (www.canberratimes.com.au)
- ^ greater monitoring and evaluation efforts (theconversation.com)
- ^ National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children (www.dss.gov.au)
- ^ Men’s Referral Service (ntv.org.au)
Authors: Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor (Practice), Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University
