Page 671 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 23 March 1993
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But I said, Madam Speaker, that in the ACT we are addressing this issue. I believe that the report that we have before us is a very important one because it is the result of a long and very thorough investigation by the Community Law Reform Committee specifically into the ACT domestic violence legislation. I think we can be proud of the domestic violence legislation record that we have in the ACT. It is some six years since that legislation first came in. None of us here can take the credit for it because it did predate self-government. Nevertheless, it was a quite reforming piece of legislation when it was introduced. The report that we have before us is wide-ranging and very comprehensive, and I believe that that nature of the report can also be attributed to the cooperative approach that has been taken by a number of relevant government agencies who have been involved. In particular, my own department and the Attorney-General's Department have worked quite closely in developing this paper.
I think it is also important to note the degree of community involvement during the course of the investigation which, of course, assisted to inform that process. In fact, the very terms of reference for the inquiry were developed with the help of the work done by the first Women's Consultative Council. This work included a domestic violence forum, which the council held in August of 1991. That forum was entitled "Domestic Violence - the Law in Practice, Problems and Solutions". At that forum the application of the law as it related to domestic violence was discussed in a great deal of detail. These discussions did allow for some valuable input from the community in the initial stages of the investigation, and they did provide, I am told, a very constructive basis for the committee's inquiry.
The Women's Consultative Council also held a workshop for survivors of domestic violence in March of 1992. This workshop provided an opportunity for survivors of domestic violence to discuss their experiences and for the council to ascertain the extent and the adequacy of domestic violence services in the ACT. The information that was gathered at this workshop also informed the work of the Community Law Reform Committee, and it did form the basis for a number of the council's 1992-93 budget recommendations.
Madam Speaker, with the council's support, the Government has initiated the establishment of a domestic violence advocate position at the Women's Information and Referral Centre, and the duty of the person in that position is to assist women to gain access to all of the services that they require. Also, a series of support groups are being organised for women in need. I understand that another part of this initiative will be to offer training courses to agencies who are involved in dealing with domestic violence, so that we can raise the awareness of the related issues within those agencies. I am aware that the creation of that position has been welcomed, particularly by the ACT courts and the Legal Aid office, as it will give much needed support to the work of those agencies. Through initiatives such as these, and such as the establishment of the Community Law Reform Committee's investigation, I believe that this Government does demonstrate its commitment to dealing with the issue of violence against women.
At present the issue is one that is of great importance to the Government, and particularly of importance to me as the Minister with responsibility for the status of women. It is important also because of our commitment to the implementation of the national strategy on violence against women and to the Community Law
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