Page 3816 - Week 14 - Thursday, 10 December 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MADAM SPEAKER: That is correct, Mr Kaine. Thank you for withdrawing, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: You cannot get up in this place and make statements which cannot be rationalised against the facts. Financial figures have been provided to Mrs Carnell. There have been performance figures, hitherto not presented in the form that they have been - - -
Mrs Carnell: Do you mean the graph? It has no figures.
MR BERRY: A total package of figures which indicate the performance of Health, which have never been provided before, and the Liberals have not stopped whingeing since. Since then Mrs Carnell has come to me, with Mr Moore, and said, "I want more figures", and I have said that I will give her those figures in the next report. Those are the facts of the matter and nobody should be allowed to create the impression that that has not been done. It has all been done.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - COMMUNITY LAW REFORM COMMITTEE
Paper
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (3.19): Madam Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Community Law Reform Committee of the Australian Capital Territory Discussion Paper No. 2 of 1992 entitled "Domestic Violence", and I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
Madam Speaker, this paper has been prepared for the ACT Community Law Reform Committee in connection with its reference on domestic violence. The terms of reference for the committee's consideration are wide ranging, allowing for a comprehensive review of these laws. The ACT's domestic violence legislation has now been in force for about six years. However, it is clear that the incidence of domestic violence remains alarmingly high. It has been estimated that there are about 100,000 adult women in Canberra. Each year approximately 3,000 contact the Domestic Violence Crisis Service at least once, but sometimes more often, to report beatings by their male partners or another household member. This figure is shocking enough on its own, but it is likely to be a significant understatement of the actual incidence of domestic violence because many survivors never report acts of violence against them.
This discussion paper covers many of the issues of concern which have been raised by the community. It discusses options for improving the laws and services offered to survivors of domestic violence and raises strategies for the prevention of criminal assault in the home. It is also my hope that this paper itself will raise awareness about the nature of domestic violence. The message that domestic violence is unacceptable and criminal behaviour must continue to be made. It should be made clear that changing unacceptable attitudes about domestic violence is a matter for the whole ACT community. One of the most disturbing aspects of the report is a survey done a couple of years ago that shows that a third of respondents still regard domestic violence as a matter to be dealt with in private and not a matter of legitimate concern for the law, government or outsiders. That, clearly, is unacceptable.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .