Page 5743 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 November 2010
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reasonable that levels of noise and temporary disruptions should be tolerated, given the significance of the event.
The foreshore is quickly turning into one of Australia’s leading music festivals and it is due to the dedication and commitment of Kicks, which own and run the event. Kicks came about when Paul Azzopardi and Jeff Drake of Friction amalgamated with Ryan Philips and Laurence Kain of Lexington Music, to bring about the first foreshore festival in 2007.
As can be imagined, the risks of weather, planning, attendees’ behaviour and more are a lot to take into account. However, the organisers are committed to the event and are indeed committed to Canberra. I ask that the territory government and the National Capital Authority provide a certainty for a number of years, to help ensure the future of the event. I congratulate the organisers on their success to date and wish them all the best for the 2010 festival.
White Ribbon Day
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (5.46): I want to speak briefly about an event which is coming up next Thursday, 25 November. That date is White Ribbon Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. One in three Australian women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. This reality is something that I am not prepared to stay silent about. That is why I have chosen to become an ambassador for the White Ribbon Foundation, whose aim is to prevent violence against women by changing the social attitudes that allow this to occur.
It is the view of the White Ribbon Foundation, and one I ascribe to, that only men can bring about this change. White Ribbon ambassadors, and there are over 1,100 of us, including many parliamentary colleagues across the country, encourage men to demonstrate the positive models of masculinity based on respectful behaviour towards women.
The central premise of the White Ribbon Foundation and the ambassadors is that we should publicly reject behaviour that is violent, abusive, dominating or derogatory toward women. We should reflect on our own behaviour, challenge our own misconceptions and consider our own relationships as well as challenging sexist remarks and jokes and talking about it with our mates.
On 25 November—and the reason I bring it up today is that it will occur before we sit again—at 7.30 in the morning in Civic Square I will be joining many other men from Canberra who will be taking a public oath to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women. I urge my colleagues in the Assembly and men who might be listening to this or reading the Hansard to join me in that pledge in person or online and to wear a ribbon to promote the campaign.
For too long, we have told ourselves that violence in intimate relationships is a private concern. It is very clear that it is not and on White Ribbon Day I encourage all of us to speak publicly about this difficult topic and say no to violence against women. What the White Ribbon Foundation asks men to do is to swear this pledge:
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