Page 3790 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 October 1990
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The Government is determined to use all of the means at its disposal to increase community awareness of the social problem of domestic violence, to protect the victims of that violence and to seek ways to eliminate this iniquitous behaviour from our society. This Bill goes so far, but it is just one of the means available to us. I support its provisions, and I seek the support of all members of the Assembly. I would think that they could agree gracefully rather than engage in this constant carping opposition that we get to everything that we try to do.
Mr Collaery: We are still continuing the debate in principle. I am rising not necessarily to close the debate in principle if there is another speaker in the debate in principle; but, if there is not, then I will close the debate in principle and I will be moving the foreshadowed amendments.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Duby, do you wish to speak?
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (11.03): I just wanted to say a few words. I think this legislation has been long overdue and is something that is - - -
Ms Follett: So has the Weapons Bill.
MR DUBY: Yes, Ms Follett. Let us get ourselves organised.
Ms Follett: Yes. Well, we are organised.
Mr Jensen: You changed an agreement reached by Clyde Holding; that was the problem, Rosemary.
MR DUBY: This legislation has been long overdue and is something which I think the community has been long waiting for. The figures that Mr Kaine mentioned, of some 500 domestic violence orders per year being taken out here in the ACT alone, are quite frightening. When you consider the terrible risks that we run, particularly in the domestic violence area, of - - -
Ms Follett: You agree that it was my draft, then?
Mr Jensen: No, I said "agreed by Clyde Holding".
Mrs Grassby: We are not interested in what Clyde Holding said; this is this house. Why do you not become a Federal member if you want to worry about that? We would give you a send-off party.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Jensen, please! Order, Mrs Grassby, please! Please proceed, Mr Duby.
MR DUBY: Thank you, Mr Speaker. When we consider those dreadful statistics of 500 orders a year and consider the relationship that exists between domestic violence and the terrible risk of people being emotionally distraught - for whatever reason - and taking weapons and hurting their
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