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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3203 ..

MS REILLY (continuing):

One of the issues that a number of families are facing at the moment is the lack of jobs. For both the male and the female partners in a family, this can be access to jobs; in other words, access also to economic independence. A number of women who decided to take up the Government's offer of a package last year are finding problems in living in a one-income family - the problems associated with losing that economic independence and not being an equal economic partner in a relationship. It is easy for families that have worked out this situation to survive. But, for those who have problems in trying to adjust to changes in economic and social circumstances, it can cause difficulties. We should be aware of those issues and look to programs to support that aspect of family life as well.

The other aim is to ensure that there is sufficient support for people who have suffered domestic violence, by looking at the number of beds that are available in refuges, the support services attached to those and the exit points from refuges so that women and their children have the opportunity to re-establish their lives and move on. At this stage in Canberra there is a considerable shortage of refuge beds. If you look at the turn-away figures last year for the refuges that are funded under SAAP, they are growing. The other issue is the fact that women have great difficulty in being able to go and find other accommodation. There is a shortage of affordable accommodation in the ACT. The slowdown in the construction of public housing is creating problems for these women. The opportunity to move on and re-establish their lives is being lost. That is why it is important that we go beyond just having this legislation; that we show leadership in the community, through having other services and other support systems; and that we show that we fully support the resolving of this problem.

The other important group that is often overlooked in relation to domestic violence is children. The impact of domestic violence on children is just being recognised. There was an interesting seminar held during Child Protection Week recently that focused exactly on that issue. For many years the focus was on the woman who was leaving the violent relationship, and the children were just part of that process. Now, thank heavens, they are looking at the impact of violence on children. One of the ways, apart from settling the children and working out the issues and the problems they have to face, is recognising that those children have to learn other ways of managing relationships and other ways of managing anger and dispute. If they have seen only one form of doing this, it is very hard to get any role models to look at in another way. This is apart from acknowledging that the suffering these children would have had as part of violent relationships also needs to be recognised. I think we can do good for the whole of the ACT community only if we look at services for children, particularly those who have left or have been in violent relationships.

I commend the legislation and Ms Tucker for introducing it. But we must remember that we have to continue beyond legislation; that we have to look at the services and supports for people who have left violent relationships; that we have also to ensure services so that people have the opportunity to develop other ways of developing relationships, of growing families, so that we do not perpetuate this into the future; and that we have to say, "Stop. This is enough. We want to have a society where all members are equal and where we can work together in harmony".

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