Legislative Council, Thursday 13 March 2025

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - I do not intend to speak at length on this bill. I echo the minister's comments on this. Family violence is an absolute scourge on our society. As we know, the majority of victims are women, often with young children. These women often find themselves in very precarious situations, living a life of fear. Many of them have to live in hiding. Sadly, I know that I see a number of these women and their children living in remote areas of my electorate - hiding. It is a tragedy that women have to live this way. It is a terrible situation. They are financially disadvantaged and challenged in every aspect; the perpetrators hold all the power.

I reiterate this is a matter the minister spoke about in working across the political divide. This cannot be a political thing. It has to be a completely apolitical approach to what is a national disaster, a national shame. I know, and the minister herself identified the report that talked about higher rates of family violence in my area in the north west of the state, it is even more difficult in rural areas of the state for women who are victims of family violence to leave relationships because the money is so often tied up in the farm or in a business. It may have been their family farm and they are trapped.

It is such a difficult situation to deal with and respond to. I am happy to do anything I can to assist any member of parliament, whatever colour of politics they wear, to try to deal with these very real challenges to make it possible to keep these women and children safe because that is what it comes down to. We have seen some horrific crimes perpetrated on women. We know that sometimes the first act of physical violence is murder. Hannah Clarke in Queensland is a perfect example of that. Well, not a perfect example. She is an example that breaks everyone's heart, or it should. I am sure it does.

I welcome a more comprehensive review of the whole act. Tasmania has made some really great strides in this area. I do not dispute that. In fact, I commend it. However, as we learn more about the coercive control that is perpetrated on victims - it is very subtle. I spoke about this when I spoke about Dr Carmel Hobbs's work with young people in these relationships; the love bombing that happens. They are drawn into it. Everyone wants to be loved. Being showered with love and gifts and all the good things is part of that coercive control. It is setting the trap. Once they are in, it is hard to get these young people out. Really hard.

These young people who are trapped in these relationships are in all our families and our communities. Some of the stories - I will not repeat the ones I shared when I noted Dr Carmel Hobbs's work in this place. They are truly terrifying. It is a terrifying situation for the parents of those young people, particularly the young women, because you cannot just go in and pull the kid out. The risk is very great. We know that the most likely time a woman will be murdered is when she makes a decision to leave and during that process of leaving.

The provisions in this bill will not fix all of this, but they will certainly enable some of these women to feel safer during the process - particularly whether there is a family violence order in place or the extension has been granted. Family violence orders are not perfect. They are breached and, as the minister noted, not all breaches are reported. That might be the case for a lot of reasons. A woman who has had her absolute self worth and self esteem destroyed in a coercive relationship often feels that she is the problem and that she deserves this. No woman, no person, deserves to be abused and controlled in that way. We see it happening far too often.

We all have a responsibility to be on alert for it and call it out in a safe way. We should all do bystander training because you cannot just go in all guns blazing. You have to do it in a safe way. There is bystander training provided through services like Our Watch and people like that who will help us as leaders in our community to help people understand how they can live in a safe way when they need to. As I said, for some women, it is very hard because of the circumstances they are in, particularly in rural settings.

I commend the member for Clark, Kristie Johnston, in bringing this forward and taking the time to work with the government over the summer break to more broadly consult on the cost aspect of this. I absolutely welcome the minister's commitment to a review of the whole legislative framework that sits around this - as we understand more about the impacts of coercive control, particularly to ensure that those sorts of behaviours and those forms of abuse are captured. Obviously, that we can prevent is the key. Where it is not able to be prevented, that we can respond in a safe and appropriate way because these women and children are harmed and it needs to stop.

I will not say any more. I commend the minister for her words. I commend the work of Kristie Johnston.