Key Takeaways: Domestic Violence Advocacy
- Urgent Call: Publisher Tina Brown calls on the Prime Minister to formally declare domestic violence a national emergency.
- Funding Demand: Advocacy for $1.5 billion in sustained investment towards prevention, protection, and recovery.
- Royal Commission: Support for Federal MP Zali Steggall’s call for a Royal Commission to fix systems currently failing victims.
- Survivor Impact: Domestic violence robs victims of self-worth and future safety, requiring systemic rather than informal support pathways.
As many of you would know, I stood as a community Independent candidate in the 2025 federal election. One of my key platforms was respect for women and the urgent need to address domestic and family violence both in this country and in our community.
During the campaign, I called on the Prime Minister to formally declare domestic violence a national emergency and to allocate $1.5 billion towards addressing it – not through short-term fixes, but through sustained, grassroots investment in prevention, protection and recovery. I believed then, and I believe now, that anything less fails the women and children who are living with violence every day.
Sadly, not long after the election, I believe it was in June, one of the very first calls I received was a request for help. It was for a young mother in my own suburb, within the electorate I had stood to represent. She had been violently assaulted in her own home by her husband while holding her baby in her arms.
No one should ever experience that. Not in their own home. Not while protecting their child.
Fortunately, through my community connections, I was able to help her access support through my own network. Those who stepped in know who they are, and I am deeply grateful to them. But the fact remains: this should never have required personal networks or informal pathways. A system designed to protect victims should already have been there for her.
Domestic violence is a scourge on our community. It is not only devastating in the immediate moment – it is debilitating for years to come. It robs victims of their self-worth, their confidence, their sense of safety and, too often, their future.
The trauma does not end when the violence stops; it lingers long after, affecting families, children and entire communities.
That is why I was so encouraged to see Federal MP for Warringah, Zali Steggall recently call for a Royal Commission into domestic violence, particularly in the wake of the recent horrific triple murder in central New South Wales. It takes courage to speak up, and I applaud her for doing so.
I hope we get a Royal Commission. We need one.
We need a full, national reckoning that examines not just individual cases, but the systems that continue to fail victims – from early intervention and policing, to housing, courts, and long-term support. Without that, we will remain trapped in a cycle of reaction instead of prevention.
My election campaign may be over, but my commitment to this issue is not. This is not about politics. It is about people. It is about women and children who deserve to live without fear in their own homes.
Until we treat domestic violence as the national crisis it is, we will continue to fail them. And that is something I, for one, refuse to accept.
