Page 4057 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
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violence than men; that two women have died in the last seven days, have had their lives stolen as a result of domestic and family violence.
This government will not wait. We do support the calls of the union movement in this country and of women’s support services. We will write to the industrial relations minister, Michaelia Cash, and we will ask her to implement, as a matter of urgency, 10 days of domestic and family violence leave as a workplace requirement for every worker in this country.
I just want to reflect on a couple of other things that Ms Lee said about businesses not being able to afford to pay or should not have to bear the brunt of the burden of people who are experiencing domestic and family violence and trying to escape. This is up to all of us. Every single one of us in our community has a responsibility to end domestic and family violence, every single one of us, because we know it happens everywhere. It happens in our workplaces, it happens in businesses, it happens in the suburbs, it happens on our sports fields, in our sports clubs.
All of us here know that we spend time knocking on the doors of and talking to thousands and thousands of people in our community. It is three times more likely to be women. We have spoken to those women. There are women in this place who have experienced domestic and family violence. We need to do more. We will not wait. We cannot wait. I commend this motion to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Sitting suspended from 11.59 am to 2.00 pm.
Questions without notice
Chief Psychiatrist—reports and recommendations
MS LEE: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, the Chief Psychiatrist has the power under subsection 197(b) of the Mental Health Act to make reports and recommendations. Given that, according to your answer to question on notice 456, the Chief Psychiatrist has not made any reports to government regarding people’s treatment, care, support, accommodation, maintenance and protection, or recommendations on how to improve these matters since January 2020, is it your government’s position that there are no problems in our acute mental health system in the ACT that could be improved upon?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I apologise to the Leader of the Opposition. I do not recall signing this question on notice. It does sound like a question for the Minister for Mental Health. I will take the question on notice.
MS LEE: Minister, what support has your government provided to the Chief Psychiatrist to do their job during this time?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I will take the question on notice.
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