Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke at a Canberra rally against gender-based violence on April 28, 2024.
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00:00 I do want to congratulate the organisers, including yourself, for organising this today
00:16 and for women right around the country who have mobilised to say "enough is enough".
00:27 And just as I left Parliament House during the demonstration that was held a couple of
00:32 years ago, I'm proud to be here with women, men, boys and girls saying we want violence
00:40 against women and children to stop.
00:44 To be clear, we did ask to speak, myself and Katie, and we're told that that wasn't possible
00:53 and that's fine.
00:54 I respect the organisers' right to do that.
00:58 That's a full out lie.
00:59 To do that.
01:00 We're here today to demand that governments of all levels must do better, including my
01:08 own, including every state and territory government.
01:20 We're here as well to say that society and Australia must do better.
01:32 We need to change the culture, we need to change attitudes.
01:36 We need to change the legal system.
01:39 We need to change the approach by all governments.
01:44 Because it's not enough to support victims.
01:47 We need to focus on the perpetrators and focus on prevention.
01:57 On Wednesday morning I will convene a national cabinet that has been agreed with every Premier
02:02 and Chief Minister.
02:03 We'll talk about what we can do, including as part of the national plan to end violence
02:16 against women and children, where in the first two budgets we've added $2.3 billion.
02:22 In the time that we have been in government we've allocated funding for 500 domestic violence
02:29 workers.
02:30 We now have 10 days paid domestic - I agree it's not enough.
02:34 I said that.
02:35 We need to do more.
02:36 We have - we have an escaping plan.
02:37 We have an escaping violence payment and we have access to housing through our Housing
02:51 Australia Future Fund.
02:53 We do have funding for training for frontline workers, $50 million that we put in the last
03:00 budget.
03:01 But are you going to do those?
03:08 Expose the 28.
03:09 Shut up.
03:10 Expose the 28.
03:11 It's about children.
03:12 Protect our children.
03:13 So I'll see if the Minister for the Status of Women, Katie Gallaher, a proud ACT Senator
03:21 as well, will want to say some things.
03:25 But I say this.
03:28 I know.
03:29 I know.
03:30 And that's why I'm here.
03:32 That's why I'm here.
03:34 I know that we all must do better.
03:37 But I know this as well.
03:39 That I've got to be honest.
03:41 It's not just government's problem.
03:44 It's a problem of our entire society.
03:54 And this is a national crisis.
03:57 And the reason why there's a disagreement with some of the language we use, emergency,
04:07 is emergency is something that we use when there's a flood or bushfires, when things
04:13 kick in for one month or two months of funding.
04:18 We don't need one month or two months.
04:21 We need to address this in a serious way.
04:25 Week by week, month by month, year by year.
04:35 Across the generations.
04:38 And we need to do it.
04:41 We need to make sure that this isn't just up to women.
04:45 It's up to men to change men's behaviour as well.
04:53 And yes, we will do need to be made accountable.
05:02 And I'll be accountable for what my government does just as.
05:07 Just as I'm accountable for delivering on all of the Jenkins report.
05:12 I'm accountable for delivering the first ever paid domestic and family violence leave.
05:18 I'm accountable for delivering 500 extra community workers in order to address this crisis.
05:25 But I want us to work together.
05:31 I want us to work together as a society to build a better Australia.
05:37 Because an Australia where women and children is safe is a better Australia for women, for
05:44 children and for men.
05:45 Thanks very much.
05:46 Thank you.
05:47 Thank you.
05:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]