Mr MORRISON (Cook—Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service) (14:20): Today here and in many cities across our country, women and men are gathering together in rallies both large and small to call for change and to act against violence directed towards women. It is good and right that so many are able to gather here in this way, whether in our capital or elsewhere, and to do so peacefully to express their concerns and their very genuine and real frustrations. This is a vibrant liberal democracy. Not far from here, such marches, even now, are being met with bullets—but not here in this country. It is a triumph of democracy when we see these things take place. Those who gather here today and around the country do so out of a sense of great frustration and great concern. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Members on my left! Mr MORRISON: That is deserved frustration and concern, concern that I share and I believe the members of this House share. One in four women have experienced intimate partner violence since the age of 15. One woman dies every nine days at the hand of a current or former partner. Indigenous women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised than non-Indigenous women. Notwithstanding the many achievements of our nation over many, many years, including in relation to the advancement of women, we as a nation must continue to take up this cause. Here at home, our job is still not yet done. It is far from done on all of these matters. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The Prime Minister will pause for a second. Members on my left will cease interjecting. When the Prime Minister has concluded his remarks on indulgence, I'll grant indulgence to the Leader of the Opposition. Similarly, I'd like him to be heard without interjection from anywhere in the House. Mr MORRISON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. This is not to suggest that good faith and genuine efforts are not being made whether by this government or the many governments that have preceded us. Those efforts are being made, but the outcomes still elude us. Those efforts are right, and they are being made right across the political spectrum with great support across this chamber and the other. An agenda for the advancement of women, in particular, taking into account action to prevent violence against women, is a common cause of this parliament, I believe. It was the Gillard government that commenced the first national action plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children. That plan was supported by the coalition in opposition and has been taken up in government. Since 2013 we have committed more than $1 billion to reduce violence against women and their children in the action plans that have followed—boosting frontline services; providing safe places; having prevention strategies for implementation in communities, workplaces and homes; having targeted support for Indigenous communities; and having counselling services provided through 1800RESPECT. There are many more initiatives, and we are now working together on the fifth national action plan, with funding and effectiveness increasing as each plan moves through the agreement process. These plans not only draw together the unity that I would hope this parliament has had until now and I hope has into the future, but also draw together the unity of the state and territory governments themselves, working now through the national cabinet process and previously through COAG, to draw together the actions of the national action plan. This is a common cause, and we must not let our frustration with the failure to achieve so many of the results we would hope for to undermine the unity needed to continue our shared progress. So I acknowledge the frustration and share the disappointment of what has yet not been achieved. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Members on my left. Mr MORRISON: To those who gather outside this place today an invitation was offered for a meeting with me here today—a good-faith action. But I respect the right of organisers to choose not to meet. That is their right, and I respect their right. But, if we were to meet today, I would advise them of the following in relation to the matters that they have been raising by virtue of the petition as I understand it. We agree that all cases of gendered violence should be referred to appropriate authorities in a timely manner. Police are the appropriate independent authority to investigate all matters of domestic and family violence. As terribly difficult as it must be, going to the police and making a statement is the only way to achieve justice and to ensure that the perpetrator can no longer harm anyone else. Further, the Australian government is committed to ensuring all Australian workplaces are safe and free from sexual harassment and assault. The government commissioned the Australian Human Rights Commission's Respect@Work. In the Women's Economic Security Statement in the budget, $2.1 million was provided to implement a number of the Respect@Work recommendations, and the remaining recommendations of the report in detail of this work are being led by the Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, Senator Stoker. One billion dollars has been allocated since 2013 to prevent and respond to violence against women and their children, with bipartisan support, and that includes a $340 million investment to support the fourth action plan. $20 million has been included for the 1800RESPECT line, and $18.8 million for the Stop it at the Start campaign, which is designed to engender greater respect right across our community. The government, in relation to the issues raised on gender equality, has already announced an independent review into the Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces, which will be led by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Ms Kate Jenkins. The Australian government took an active role in the development of the ILO convention on violence and harassment and its accompanying recommendation. The Australian government tabled the convention and recommendation in the parliament in December 2020. The government is now undertaking a law and practice assessment. All states and territories have now provided their input, which is under consideration with a view to completing the assessment in 2021. In relation to the events that have led, I believe, to the actions that we've seen today and in the weeks leading up to this, the government, working together with the parliament, has already announced an independent review into the Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces, led by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Kate Jenkins, and I thank all of those across this chamber and the other chamber for working with us to put this inquiry into place. I wouldn't want to prejudge the outcomes of any recommendations of that inquiry. It's an important piece of work that we all share in. We have already acted to establish an independent and confidential 24/7 telephone service to support current and former Commonwealth ministerial, parliamentary and electorate office staff and those who have experienced serious incidents in any Commonwealth parliamentary workplace. This support line, 1800APHSPT or 1800274778 will be staffed 24/7 by professionals. This is just a first step, and I look forward to the recommendations so that the government can take further action. The government understands and shares the frustrations of women and men across this country who want to see women safe in their workplace. They want to see them safer in our community. They want to see them safer in this building and want them to see all of their aspirations achieved in this country, as they should. This is Australia's ambition. This is my government's ambition. And I look forward to achieving a unity of purpose across this chamber and the other, to those ends, working also with our state and territory governments. The SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition, on indulgence.