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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 (Hansard) 16 May) . . Page.. 1334 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Of course, each child lives within a larger culture where factors such as economic and gender inequality may be realities they have to cope with on an individual basis as adults, and which may be sources of disillusion and frustration. Nevertheless, what is learned in the process of socialisation within the family can be both protection and a source of strength in coming to terms with or even altering these realities.

Strategies for the prevention of violence in Australia will be the subject of Part Three of this Report.

This is Part Two. Certainly, Part Three of this report makes it very clear, Mr Speaker, that the proposals that have been agreed to by the Police Ministers from all States and Territories are almost directly from this report. It goes on to say:

Many of the initiatives which the Committee recommends lie in the area of assistance to families, where, we believe, the greatest difference can be made, by engendering non-violent values in children and by helping to ensure that they are brought up in an atmosphere free from violence. Many of the recommendations made in the final Part of this Report therefore relate to measures such as education and support in parenting, which are designed to assist families. Other initiatives are linked to public values, and involve the large issues of gender role, unemployment and attitude change.

The Committee recognises that any intervention focussed on children is self-evidently a long-term proposition. At the same time it believes that there are many other initiatives which can be taken in the short term to reduce the level of violence in the community and which would not cost the earth, whilst making a significant practical impact. A number of recommendations have therefore been made in areas such as the control of alcohol, violence in the sporting arena, both by spectators and players, the control of firearms and the policies of police and others in the criminal justice system.

The Committee believes that a serious attempt to reduce the level of violence in our community requires attention to both long-term and short-term issues. The challenge is to find the most efficient and effective policies which will bring about the control and prevention of violent behaviour, whatever its cause.

Mr Speaker, I chose to read all of that conclusion because I believe that some on both sides of the house and both sides of this argument will take heart from it. It does illustrate the complexity of the issue that we are dealing with.

That committee, in talking about the issue of X-rated videos and other such material, had this comment to make - and there is a part of it I want to draw out:

The Committee deplores sexism and the denigration of women. It feels, however, that values such as these -

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