Gendered violence
Tim RICHARDSON (Mordialloc) (10:01): It is a real privilege to be appointed the Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behaviour Change. We have embarked on a significant journey as Victorians in ending gender-based violence. We had the Royal Commission into Family Violence – some 227 recommendations and $4 billion invested. We have seen a scaling up of services that are supporting our community and keeping women and children safe, but we know that the cultural change and that journey that we need to be on is going to be the hardest work that needs to be done. That is why the Premier’s announcement of this portfolio area and the work that has been done with the Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, the Minister for Women and the Attorney-General is so very critical, because we know that those attitudes and those gender-based stereotypes and norms have huge impacts on the outcomes and wellbeing of women and children in our community. It starts with all of us coming together, boys and men, having positive role models and positive masculinity in our community and having those conversations. To be on that journey and to be doing that work and having in each and every one of our communities that accountability is really important. To everyone in the Parliament and in our community, I am really looking forward to working with you in understanding how we can change those behaviours, have a better outcome for young boys and men and keep women and children safe. I must say that accountability in every frame starts with men, starts with boys and the accountability of perpetrators. That is the shared journey that we are on in the community together.