Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Bills
Crimes Amendment (Non-fatal Strangulation) Bill 2023
Crimes Amendment (Non-fatal Strangulation) Bill 2023
Second reading
Debate resumed on motion of Anthony Carbines:
That this bill be now read a second time.
Meng Heang TAK (Clarinda) (11:46): I am delighted to rise today to speak on the Crimes Amendment (Non-fatal Strangulation) Bill 2023. Yesterday we heard contributions by members in this house, and I would like to join to make this contribution by acknowledging the member for Mildura and the member for Narracan for their heartfelt lived experience and also the member for Lara for her work, for three years before coming to this place, with victims of domestic violence.
This is another important bill and one that continues to build on this government’s strong commitment to preventing and eliminating family violence in Victoria. Everyone deserves the right to feel safe in their workplace, in their community and of course at their home, and yesterday I listened carefully to the contribution by the member for Cranbourne, talking about the 47 deaths per year. These are not just numbers, these are victims of domestic violence. Supposedly the place that they called home was the safest place, but we see 47 is too many, and it took place at the safe place which is home, which is unacceptable. Sadly, we know that too many women and children in our community do not feel safe in their homes. For the electorate that I represent, many come from multicultural communities, and engaging with the authorities or with the police or calling 000 would be very difficult at times, and when the perpetrator happens to be either your husband, your partner or your boyfriend, in these communities I think it is even harder.
It is unacceptable to me and it is unacceptable to this government, and that is why we established the Royal Commission into Family Violence and, importantly, committed to implementing all 227 recommendations. As we heard, this year was really a big year for the prevention of family violence, as it was in January that the former minister announced the implementation of all those 227 recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence. That is a significant milestone in the reform of the family violence system, strengthening its foundation and supporting all Victorians to feel confidence about reporting family and sexual violence and seeking the help that they deserve. The result of it really is a nation-leading system. The Orange Door network is a big part of that system, an open door for support rolled out statewide. I was privileged and honoured to join the minister not long ago at the opening of the Orange Door offices in Dandenong and a few other places.
Talking about Dandenong, that is where I served as a councillor for six years and for one term as mayor. Many times I marched along with the community not to celebrate but to raise awareness about domestic violence in our local government area. It is not a proud moment, but it is a proud moment in the sense that we talk about it, and as men, and as men of multicultural communities, I think we have a big part to play in this. I am not pinpointing multicultural communities in terms of statistics on domestic violence, but I merely say that victims in these communities would be finding it very difficult in terms of their confidence in reporting an offence.
I am really proud of this government’s investment in the royal commission. More than $3.86 billion has been invested to transform Victoria’s family violence system, and this is more than every other state and territory combined. The 2023–24 state budget builds on this investment by providing a further $77 million to end family and sexual violence with a host of initiatives and programs. Further to this, the next stage of the reform is focused on strengthening the family violence system and progressing our ultimate goal of stopping family violence before it starts. Those priorities will guide the development of the third and final family violence reform rolling action plan for 2024–26. I commend all the ministers for prevention of family violence since 2018 for this investment, for delivering all the 227 recommendations of the royal commission and for ensuring that Victoria is leading the nation in preventing and eliminating family violence.
This is important work that has to continue, and it is here today with the Crimes Amendment (Non-fatal Strangulation) Bill 2023. It is very important that the bill led back to the Community Safety Statement 2019–20. In this statement the government committed to delivering legislation for a standalone offence of strangulation to enhance the protection of victims and to make it easier to hold offenders to account. That commitment has been reiterated several times, including in the Parliament and most recently in the gender equality strategy and action plan 2023–27.
What this bill will deliver is two new indictable offences of intentional non-fatal strangulation against a family member in the Crimes Act 1958. The first is an offence of intentional non-fatal strangulation against a family member as defined in the Family Violence Protection Act 2008. This has a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. The second is the offence of intentional non-fatal strangulation against a family member with intent to cause injury, which has a maximum penalty of 10 years. These are significant offences, with significant penalties, which are essential and designed to provide better protection for victims and to hold offenders to account. Alongside the offence, the bill will also make a consequential amendment to the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 to ensure that non-fatal strangulation is recognised as an act of family violence for the purpose of family violence intervention orders, consideration of bail applications and protection for witnesses giving evidence. This is also a practical and important change that will complement those two significant offences with significant penalties. The introduction of these offences and penalties is very warranted, and we have heard strangulation is a leading cause of death among women killed by current and former male partners, husbands, boyfriends or loved ones.
I would like to conclude my contribution by congratulating the minister for the work and for the important change here. I would also like to join many members here in acknowledging the tireless and powerful advocacy by the family of the late Joy Maree Rowley, by Joy’s children, Aaron, Nadine and Renee and their father Les. These are important changes, changes that push us towards a future free from family violence, a future where we all can be safe at home and we all can feel safe no matter where we come from or where we live. I would like to conclude by saying that 47 is too many and we will see less of this in the future. I commend the bill and also commend the family for their advocacy. I commend this bill to the house.
That the debate be now adjourned.
Motion agreed to and debate adjourned.
Ordered that debate be adjourned until later this day.