Page 1374 - Week 05 - Thursday, 26 April 1990
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domestic violence is caused by men predominantly, that in 99 cases out of 100 - someone else may have more accurate statistics - the violence is committed by men against women; men against children; or parents, jointly or singly, against children. That is where the attention has to be directed.
The report of the committee said that there is no major problem of public behaviour, although some things have to be attended to. I do not think the Social Policy Committee, with the matters it has on its agenda, will be getting down for some considerable time, if at all, to the question of private behaviours, which is a very sensitive but very important area. If it does, I would like to investigate more how you change attitudes of young people and, along with that, how you firm up the attitudes of women not to accept violence. There is no point doing that at all unless you can provide women with the resources to stand up for themselves.
It has been said here today that too often women have no option but to stay in the situation. There is not the resource there for them to get out of that until it becomes absolutely intolerable. It is sometimes difficult even then. We must get the community to accept that this is the case and not leave unreported events in their neighbourhood, as happens in every neighbourhood.
I appreciate the advertisements that I have seen this week on the television screen, because they are a form of education. They are telling the community that domestic violence is not acceptable. I do not know whether the community is learning from them - maybe it is not, because it is no easy matter to change, as I have indicated - but domestic violence has to stop. In the last 10 years or so strenuous efforts have been made to stamp it out. I think we are still in only the early stage of doing so. We are beginning to handle it, but we are not really beginning the important task of changing attitudes. Somewhere we must involve ourselves in very deep research to get to that level so that we can change those attitudes.
MR SPEAKER: I call Mr Humphries.
Mr Moore: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; Mr Stevenson was on his feet before - - -
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Moore, for your observation. Mr Stevenson was not in his chair when he rose, and I decided to go from one side of the chamber to the other, as is normally the fashion. Mr Humphries may be brief. Please proceed, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (5.26): I will try to be brief, Mr Speaker. It is very unfortunate that this debate has become somewhat politicised, if you like. The comments, particularly of early speakers from the opposition side, tended to indicate
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