Page 679 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 23 March 1993
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The Federal Government and the ACT Government have failed to ban X-rated videos and have failed to remove pornography from family stores. The very perception of domestic violence indicates a bias against men and children because governments tend to treat domestic violence as solely perpetrated by men against women. I do not know the figures in Canberra but in Victoria 15 per cent, approximately, of the cases that police attend are violence perpetrated by women. Violence against children is something we should always talk about when we talk about domestic violence. Women cause a high percentage of such violence. One of the reasons, no doubt, is that they spend a lot more time with the children.
The immediate trigger in many domestic violence cases is well known to be alcohol, but governments have done little to decrease alcohol consumption, to promote temperance, or to emphasise that indulgence in alcohol causes men to lose control. While the role of alcohol in road accidents has been stressed, there has been little emphasis that alcohol in a domestic situation can also cause trauma and violence. The feminist bias in government policies in regard to domestic violence, with emphasis on the exercise of power by men over women rather than on real triggers such as alcohol, has been particularly unfortunate in regard to Aboriginal women who are specially vulnerable because of the high rate of alcohol abuse among Aboriginal men. Cases of murder of Aboriginal women are vastly higher than murder of white women in Australia. I think it was in north-western Western Australia that Aboriginal women were 33 times more likely to be murdered. Of these assaults against Aboriginal women, 70 per cent were done by their partners.
I think the policies of Labor governments, in particular, equating de facto relationships with marriage have lowered the status of women and led to their exploitation. As a result of these policies many men undoubtedly believe that they can expect sexual favours from women without offering any long-term commitment. This results in less-caring relationships.
Mr Berry: You are a specialist.
MR STEVENSON: De facto relationships break up at a higher rate than marriages, and the incidence of domestic violence is far higher among de facto partners than among married couples. I note that Mr Berry thinks that this is a huge joke. I repeat that domestic violence is far higher among de facto partners than amongst married couples. The Northern District Times, on 18 November 1992, reporting on factors that were predominant domestic violence situations in the area of Sydney, stated that most cases involved a de facto situation, and there was seldom a case in which alcohol was not involved. As a former police officer and having attended domestic violence situations, I ask: Who would deny that alcohol is a major precipitating factor?
Federal and State sex discrimination and affirmative action legislation which specifically allows for discrimination against men, in order to make up for past discrimination against women, is perceived by many men as grossly discriminatory. The working man of today is not responsible for past discriminations against women, and one cannot make it up to women of past generations by unfairly disadvantaging today's working men. There are a number of Federal, State and territorial programs, ranging from women's health centres, advisory and advocacy services and others. There is tremendous predominance placed on benefiting and looking after women.
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