Anglicare WA advocates for freedom from domestic violence and abuse

One of Anglicare WA’s advocacy priorities is Freedom from Family and Domestic Violence and Abuse. In the lead up to the 2025 federal election, we are advocating for a commitment to policies that ensure everyone can live safely and securely, free from violence.  

As part of our efforts to achieve this goal, we support the work of specialist organisations and peak bodies that promote policy solutions encouraging freedom from family violence and abuse.  One such organisation is No to Violence, a peak body for organisations and individuals who work with men to end family violence.  

Below is content from No to Violence sharing the pre-election family and domestic violence prevention commitments made by federal candidates who presented at a No to Violence Federal Election Forum webinar, hosted on April 16, 2025.   

The Hon Amanda Rishworth, Minister for Social Services (Australian Labor Party):  

• Elevated domestic, family and sexual violence to be a national priority 

• $4 billion committed in the last term of government 

• Focus on law reform 

• Improved the Family Court 

• Appointing the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner 

• Commitment to lived-experience informed design 

• Trials to prevent children accessing online pornography 

• Increasing focus on a law-and-order approach to domestic, family and sexual violence to prevent violence 

• Further work with states and territories, including to improve service options for children and young people and increase service delivery by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations 

Senator Kerrynne Liddle, Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence (Liberal/National Party):  

• Offering help way earlier, particularly by providing a focused response for children and young people 

• Distinguishing between intimate partner and family violence 

• Rewarding excellence in service provision rather than targeted funding drops to Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations 

• Increased funding for Headspace 

• Improving school attendance 

• Increased focus on reinforcing factors, e.g. alcohol and gambling misuse, particularly following the repeal of policies such as the Cashless Debit Card and alcohol restrictions in the Northern Territory 

• A Royal Commission into sexual abuse of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children 

Senator Larissa Waters, spokesperson on women for the Australian Greens outlined a range of priorities:  

• $12 billion commitment from The Greens’ election platform to fully fund the National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence 

• National toll on those killed in acts of family violence 

• School-based prevention programs and prevention which includes focus on positive role models for boys and men 

• Harmonised consent laws 

• Mandatory code for online dating platforms 

• Trauma supports including for young men 

• Pilot program to explore survivor-led alternative justice mechanisms 

• Funding certainty for crucial organisations, especially for community-led work 

• Mental health care supports in-built in Medicare 

Zoe Daniel, Independent Member for Goldstein, repeated her calls for domestic, family and sexual violence to be elevated in this current election campaign. Her priorities are:  

• Investment in primary prevention, early intervention and frontline specialist family violence services including men's behaviour change programs 

• Housing funding for crisis accommodation 

• Changing social security debt waiver provisions and other system changes to prevent financial abuse 

• Collecting better data to build the evidence base on risk factors 

• Support for youth hubs with mental health foci, including Headspace 

• Fairer access to justice 

• A range of policies focused on women’s economic security