Thursday, 5 October 2023

 Ella GEORGE (Lara) (14:45): (343) My question is for the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, and I ask: can the minister please advise what is being done to help victim-survivors of family violence in the Lara electorate? Many in the house may know that prior to entering this house I worked in family violence reform in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, and this work gave me a deep understanding of the horrendous crime that is family violence. Sadly, family violence is something that affects many across the Geelong region. In fact, according to the Crime Statistics Agency, the Greater Geelong area reported the second-highest number of family violence incidents across the state in the last financial year. That is just devastating. That is why it is so important for everybody to be doing all that they can to combat family violence. I know that this government is busy getting on with that after committing to implementing all 227 recommendations from Australia’s very first Royal Commission into Family Violence. That is why my question to the minister is: what is being done to assist victim-survivors of family violence in the electorate of Lara?