Parliament House, Canberra
E&OE
Subjects: Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence
Dr GARLAND: My question is to the Attorney-General. What is the Albanese Labor Government doing to promote the safety of women and children, and how is the government working towards ending gender based violence in Australia?
Ms ROWLAND, Attorney-General: I thank the member for her question. The government is working together to support women and children experiencing family, domestic and sexual violence and to hold perpetrators to account. Together with my colleague the most excellent Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, we launched public consultation this week on draft legislation that will crack down on convicted child sex abusers who are shielding their assets in superannuation to avoid paying court ordered compensation to their victims. The Albanese government is putting perpetrators on notice with a clear message: child sex predators must not be able to game the system. Victim-survivors deserve a real, enforceable justice system, and that's precisely what we want to deliver. This reform is about restoring fairness, dignity and accountability and has been well received by stakeholders. Andrew Carpenter from Super for Survivors said: It's a win for victim-survivors across the country as it shows the web is closing on all sex offenders.
This work builds on our government's family law reforms, which make the system simpler and safer for families and children. Our reforms also recognise superannuation as a central component of the property pool, to be considered in cases of separation, and that family violence and financial abuse can severely limit women's capacity to accumulate super. Superannuation funds now hold trillions of dollars in assets, making fair property outcomes critical to the long-term safety and economic security of victim-survivors.
I acknowledge the exceptional efforts of my colleagues the Minister for Social Services and the Assistant Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, who are leading cross-government delivery of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. This is backed by record funding of $4.7 billion to strengthen prevention, early intervention, crisis response and recovery. These reforms sit alongside the government's broader economic security agenda led by the Minister for Women, including reforms to the low-income superannuation tax offset, removing barriers like the activity tests for childcare and improving access to secure housing. We're investing in frontline family and domestic violence services, expanding specialist supports for children and strengthening legal protections so victim-survivors can navigate the justice system more safely and affordably.
The Albanese government understands that supporting women and children requires more than words. It demands united action across government and a commitment to sustained reform.
