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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1693 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

(g) to collect statistical and other information relating to domestic violence offences;

(h) to prepare and submit to the Minister a plan for dealing with domestic violence in the community, including recommendations on -

(i) any changes in the law or its administration that may be necessary;

(ii) improving the effectiveness of the provision of assistance to victims of domestic violence offences;

(iii) the prevention of the occurrence of domestic violence offences; and

(iv) developing systems for monitoring the effectiveness of any programs recommended in the plan that are implemented; and

(i) to monitor developments within and outside Australia of legislation, policy and community views on domestic violence and the provision of health and welfare services to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence offences.

Mr Speaker, this council has 12 members. I notice that when we get to the point about meetings of the council the Bill says:

The Chairperson shall convene a meeting of the Council -

(a) whenever he or she deems it necessary for the effective discharge of the functions of the Council ...

and it gives a number of other reasons. This group would have to work probably every day. They would have to meet every day to effectively do what they are being asked to do in this Bill. The whole point of the domestic violence coordinator was that it be a fully-paid person who did this work. It is not the work of the council. When you look at those functions, it is quite clear why it is not appropriate at all to have this council without the domestic violence coordinator position in place. We are going to end up wasting resources and people's time if we do not get this right, because good policy work that is done will not be able to be properly implemented and monitored. It is not about front-loading the process, as the Minister seems to think. It is about a model of prevention and a bottom-up approach that can actually work.

Mr Speaker, when you look, even in pure economic terms, at the cost of domestic violence in our community, it should be obvious to anyone that the coordinator position, if it reduces the incidence of domestic violence by only a small amount, would be a very good investment. It is very short-sighted to say that we cannot afford a coordinator.

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