Thursday, 4 June 2026

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (10:51): On Friday 29 May Bianca and Boyd Unwin invited Stuart from my office and I to join them on the grounds of the MCG for a moment of pause for Carlton Respects. It was the most incredible experience. Carlton Respects is an amazing program. It has been running now for 10 years. It is shining a light in a very dark place, and that is domestic violence. The moment of pause was absolutely incredible. There were 79 orange lights held up in honour of the 79 women that have lost their lives in 2025 to domestic violence. The program has reached 30,000 students in 1200 classrooms. They have raised $1.2 million to support people going through domestic violence. To have 61,000 people there at the Geelong versus Carlton game honouring the lives of those lost was just something extraordinary. From a personal point of view, to be asked to stand with Bianca and Boyd Unwin was just an honour like no other. I have spoken about Katie Haley – it is her family that we stood with. She was murdered in 2018 brutally with a dumbbell, and it has just been such an honour to stand with that family and to fight for law reform in an area where it is really needed. I just want to thank them for giving us that honour to stand with them. I commit to continuing the fight.