Page 2353 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2016
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Domestic and family violence is a workplace issue. Having domestic/family violence as a new protected attribute in anti-discrimination legislation can provide another avenue of protection for victims and survivors who experience discrimination, as well as lead to improved measures for addressing domestic/family violence.
Of course, the disadvantage and stigma associated with domestic and family violence do not manifest only in workplace discrimination. They can occur in access to services and facilities where a woman might be asked not to return to her gym because her abusive partner has threatened to turn up and cause a scene. They might occur in access to the provision of accommodation where a woman is not offered a lease because of suspicion that she is on a crisis Centrelink payment or because a previous tenancy was ended when her landlord discovered that she was in a troubled relationship with a man known to have a history of violence and cause property damage.
This amendment does not impose positive duties on landlords or bosses to actively support a victim through reduced rent or specific leave allowances, though that might be something that they could do. It is about being clear that it is not acceptable to treat a person unfairly because they have experienced family violence. We need to create a society that lifts the shroud of secrecy and shame associated with domestic and family violence that prevents open discussions and frustrates the effective operation of the support networks that we are putting in place.
This amendment sends another clear signal that the ACT government is committed to taking action across the statute book to reflect on the reality of domestic and family violence to ensure that our laws protect already vulnerable people from re-victimisation.
Finally, I would like to recognise that this change has been championed by, amongst others, the ACT YWCA. I have spoken often in this place about real change on domestic violence needing a partnership between government and the community. It is organisations like the Y that are offering Canberrans pathways to get involved in making change. I appreciate the impact that this is making as we work together to end violence in our community.
This bill is an important part of the coordinated effort to reduce domestic and family violence in the ACT. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Health, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for the Environment and Climate Change) (4.28), in reply: I thank members for their support of this bill today. The bill is the first stage response to recommendations made by the ACT Law Reform Advisory Council following its extensive inquiry into the scope and operation of the Discrimination Act. The bill makes changes to the act to improve and extend its coverage.
Effective, accessible and balanced anti-discrimination law is an important part of our justice and social policy framework. It provides a key support mechanism to uphold
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