Domestic and Family Violence

Mr HAWKE (Mitchell) (16:42): I want to add my voice to the Hills community who worked together on Friday alongside the New South Wales police to say no to domestic violence at a campaign that was launched at the Castle Hill RSL in my electorate. Together with Hills Domestic Violence Prevention Network, the Lisa Harnum Foundation, the Sanctuary Hills Women's Shelter, they also acknowledged by name in a rose ceremony each and every person who has died from domestic violence this year. This is a powerful way to recognise that the women and the people who die from domestic violence each year are not just statistics but are individuals. All of those names were spoken, and the lives and the individuality of those people were acknowledged in a ceremony at the Castle Hill RSL.

All of us are shocked at the increase in this terrible crime in our communities, hidden away sometimes in our Hills community as well in north-west Sydney. I acknowledge the efforts of the New South Wales police and all the domestic violence services in our electorate. They work so hard to bring these issues to light and to work together with people to understand that these are very difficult problems to tackle but that we must tackle them together as a community—working with police and with our Hills Domestic Violence Prevention Network, the Sanctuary and the Lisa Harnum Foundation, all of whom do an outstanding job.

While I wasn't able to attend because of parliamentary commitments, I want to add my voice to the international campaign for the elimination of violence against women and for world human rights.