NSW State Election Scorecard

Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence

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Here is a summary of the major party positions on the NSW Women’s Alliance’s key sexual, domestic and family violence policy recommendations. You can click here to view the NSW Women’s Alliance Election Platform Action to End Gendered Violence, including the full details for over 60 policy recommendations.

Supports recommendations
Supports some recommendations in full or in part
Opposes recommendations
Policy unclear
Seven Calls to Action to End Gendered Violence
Liberal National Coalition
Labor
Greens
Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers
Animal Justice Party
One Nation
1. Whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence (SDFV)
2.  Primary prevention to end all violence and promote gender equality
3. Immediate and long-term supports
4. Safe and appropriate housing
5. Reform legal systems
6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change
7. Develop and implement a SDFV workforce plan
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The full NSW Women’s Alliance election platform was provided for comment to the Liberal National Coalition, Labor, Greens, Animal Justice Party, One Nation, and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers. We asked for their response and commitments and compared them to the Action to End Gendered Violence policy recommendations (alongside previous public announcements) and evaluated how they measured up on the issue of women’s safety.

The NSW Women’s Alliance does not promote or oppose political parties or direct people on how to vote. Authorised by Chief Executive Officer of Domestic Violence NSW Delia Donovan, 617 Elizabeth St Redfern, Sydney 2016.

Our scorecard lets you know where major political parties stand on our seven calls for action to end gendered violence in NSW:

1

A coordinated, whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence policy in NSW
The current approach to the prevention of sexual, domestic and family violence is siloed across NSW Government, with over seven departments and at least ten NSW government strategies. We call for an integrated approach with parliamentary oversight. Additionally, we call for a lived expertise advisory group to the NSW Government, increased transparency, quality standards for specialist services and a whole-of-government risk assessment framework.

2

Commit to intersectional primary prevention approaches to end gendered violence and promote gender equality
‍Violence against women, children and LGBTIQA+ people is preventable, and research demonstrates that gender inequality is the key driver of sexual, domestic and family violence. The NSW Women’s Alliance call for a NSW Primary Prevention Plan to promote gender equity and end sexual, domestic and family violence using an intersectional approach. We call for a minimum of $10 million per year dedicated to delivering respectful relationships education and a minimum of $10 million per year dedicated to other evidence-based primary prevention initiatives under the plan.

3

Immediate and long-term supports for people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
‍The NSW Women’s Alliance calls for an increase in funding to the specialist sexual, domestic and family violence sector by a minimum of $133.55 million per year, so people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence have the supports they need to heal. We call for the introduction of flexible support packages so that victim-survivors have flexible access to money they need to access safety, and an increase in funding for specialist children’s and young people’s services. We call for all 55 recommendations from Respect@Work report to be implemented in NSW.

4

Safe and appropriate housing for everybody experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
‍Sexual, domestic and family violence is the single largest driver of homelessness for women and children. The NSW Women’s Alliance want to ensure all victim-survivors of domestic and family violence, no matter their age, background or income can access a safe home. We call for the NSW Government to fund long-term, safe housing, including $2.6 billion annually for 5000 new social housing dwellings per year to house the tens of thousands of people on wait lists, to increase transitional housing by 50% and to increase the percentage of affordable housing in new developments.

5

Reform legal systems and policing for people experiencing sexual, domestic and family violence
‍People experiencing sexual, domestic and family violence are more likely to have multiple and complex legal issues. The NSW Women’s Alliance call for improvements to policing which ensure people experiencing violence can access consistent and safe responses anywhere in NSW. We recommend a safe, phased, and transparent approach to implementing coercive control legislation. We call for the NSW Government to fund improvements to courts so they are safer for people who have experienced sexual, domestic and family violence and for increased access, transparency and accountability to the Victims Support Scheme.

6

Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change towards ending sexual, domestic and family violence in their communities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience sexual, domestic and family violence at three times the rate of non-Indigenous women. The NSW Women’s Alliance supports recommendations from the Domestic Violence NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Steering Committee to make self-determination central and seek the expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to design responses which will achieve successful outcomes in Aboriginal communities. Other recommendations include increased accountability and transparency of government actions and policing and a Truth and Justice Commission in NSW.

7

Develop and implement a workforce development plan for the specialist sexual, domestic and family violence sector
‍One in four workers in community service organisations in NSW are aged 55 or over and approximately half of the staff will be of retirement age by 2027. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the issues behind an under-resourced sector as demand has increased while workers have been stretched thin, facing a high risk of burnout. The NSW Women’s Alliance calls for a thorough workforce development plan incorporating the training needs of the current sector as well as increasing the number of trained staff, including people with lived expertise and Aboriginal specialist workers.

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View the details of the major party commitments to take action to end gendered violence

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Read Liberal National Coalition's ResponseRead Labor's ResponseRead The Greens NSW's ResponseRead Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers' ResponseRead Animal Justice Party's ResponseRead Pauline Hanson's One Nation's Response

Liberal National Coalition

You can read the Liberal National Coalition response in full here.

  1. A coordinated, whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence policy in NSW
  • Response did not address.  
  • DFV and sexual violence plans released by Liberal/National government commit to quality standards for specialist services and a whole-of-government risk assessment framework.
  • Did not commit to minimum quality standards for sexual violence services.

  1. Commitment to intersectional primary prevention to end all violence and promote gender equality
  • Commit to primary prevention plans to address sexual, domestic and family violence that will respond to and align with the National Plan. No funding has been allocated to implement the plan yet.

  1. Immediate and long-term supports for people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Commit $426.6 million to expand the Core and Cluster initiative to deliver and operate new women's refuges that will support up to an additional 2,900 women and children escaping domestic and family violence each year.  
  • Doubled domestic and Domestic and Family Violence leave for NSW Government sector employees from ten to 20 days.  
  • Commit to increasing funding for the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline from 1 July 2023.
  • No funding commitment to other elements of the platform, including funding for women’s health centres or the women’s trauma recovery centre and no commitments to long-term contracts in the sexual, domestic and family violence sector.

  1. Safe and appropriate housing for everybody experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Commit to up to 75 new refuges.
  • No commitments to transitional, medium, or long-term accommodation and no commitments to increasing and maintaining social housing at the necessary level.
  • Commit to providing victim-survivors with access to first home buyer support and interest free rental bonds- not a recommendation from the NSW Women’s Alliance.
  • Support no-grounds evictions legislation.

  1. Reform legal systems and policing for people experiencing sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Introduced laws to criminalise coercive control in intimate partner relationships, however this was not implemented as recommended in the NSW Women's Alliance platform.
  • Introduced affirmative consent laws, which commenced on the 1st of June 2022.
  • Will launch the 'Right to Ask' disclosure scheme and commit $20 million for up to 200 additional electronic monitoring devices- not a recommendation in the NSW Women’s Alliance platform.  
  • Will transfer the responsibility of Court Appointed Questioning to Justice of the Peace as opposed to Court Officers, however there are significant concerns around the lack of specialisation and geographic distribution of appropriate JPs across the state. This scheme bans the self-represented people accused of domestic violence in criminal and related proceedings from directly cross-examining domestic violence complainants.
  • Demonstrate initiative towards increasing specialisation in domestic violence courts and commitment to add five additional magistrates.
  • Committed to expand the Child Sexual Offence Evidence Program state-wide to ensure support and protections are afforded to witnesses in child sexual offence matters.
  • Have not committed to expanding these supports and protections to witnesses in adult sexual offence matters.
  • Have not committed to increasing specialisation in sexual violence courts for adult complainants.
  • Will review all sentences for domestic and family violence related offences – not a recommendation in the NSW Women’s Alliance election platform.

  1. Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change towards ending sexual, domestic and family violence in their communities
  • Commit to 20 new core and cluster refuges run by and for Aboriginal communities, as well as capacity building to support Aboriginal services to apply for the tenders.  
  • Fund the Aboriginal Women’s Advisory Network.

  1. Develop and implement a workforce development plan for the specialist sexual, domestic and family violence sector
  • The DFV plan released by Liberal/National government commits to a workforce development plan. It does not include a workforce development plan for the sexual violence response or prevention sectors.

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Labor

You can read the Australian Labor Party’s response in full here.

  1. A coordinated, whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence policy in NSW
  • Commit to a clear and consistent approach to data gathering to effectively measure impact.
  • Commit to reviewing actions requiring attention from the Domestic Violence Death Review Team report.
  • Commit to five-year funding arrangements for key community services providers.  
  • Consider minimum standards for the DFV sector, the introduction of a Lived Expertise Advisory Group in government and a whole-of-government risk assessment and management framework.
  • Have not yet committed to minimum standards in the sexual violence sector or a Lived Expertise Advisory Group for people impacted by sexual violence.

  1. Commitment to intersectional primary prevention to end all violence and promote gender equality
  • Support the creation, introduction, and evaluation of primary prevention interventions.
  • Support consultation with the sector and specialist services on how to best deliver dedicated investment to primary prevention and explore whole-of-community solutions.
  • Do not make financial commitments to fulfil a primary prevention plan.

  1. Immediate and long-term supports for people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Commit to double the funding to NSW Women's Health Centres to $100 million over five years.
  • Commit $2 million towards the establishment of an Illawarra Women's Trauma Recovery Centre.
  • Commit to a $923,000 per year investment in the NSW Sexual Violence Helpline in addition to a one-off funding injection of $467,679 to improve access to sexual violence services in priority populations.
  • Commit to partnering with Settlement Services International (SSI) to establish new specialist multicultural domestic and family violence Centre in southwest Sydney.
  • Increase funding by $17 million for the Kids Helpline and $8.2 million for Lifeline- not recommended in platform however, funding is supported by the NSW Women’s Alliance. It is noted that neither Lifeline nor the Kids Helpline are specialist sexual, domestic and family violence services yet funding for these services has been prioritised over the state-wide NSW Domestic Violence Line and NSW Sexual Violence Line.

  1. Safe and appropriate housing for everybody experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Commit to establishing a new agency called ‘Homes NSW’ to drive the delivery of more housing options and manage social housing. Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC), Aboriginal Housing Office (AHO) and DCJ Housing will be streamlined into one entity.
  • Commit to a target of 30 per cent affordable, social, and universal housing on surplus public land.
  • Work with the sector to improve social housing options for the people of NSW, including looking into the 28 day per year limit on access to temporary accommodation, assessing ways to improve access to social housing for older people, and ensuring properties are fit for purpose.
  • Explore options for repurposing existing facilities or buildings that are suitable for use for social housing.
  • Introduce new rental rules to give more protection to renters, including clearly outlining termination grounds to end no-grounds evictions and portable bonds.
  • Act to boost housing supply and deliver more affordable rental housing for regional NSW through a 'Build to Rent' program, beginning with a $30 million pilot on the south coast.

  1. Reform legal systems and policing for people experiencing sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Commit to the proper implementation of coercive control legislation and to liaise with stakeholders, ensuring that commencement of the offence coincides with the preparedness of NSW Government agencies.
  • Work with stakeholders to explore opportunities for court specialisation and ways in which victim-survivors can have access to specialist services to provide trauma-informed, culturally safe support.
  • Support specialised training for NSW Police to respond to instances of domestic and family violence. However, NSW Police training in identification and response to sexual violence has not been included.
  • Support ensuring transparent policies and procedures for safe reporting of alleged violence by a police employee.
  • Commit to appointing an Independent Victims Commissioner to act as an independent advocate for victim-survivors.
  • Work with stakeholders on ways Victim-Services can be strengthened, including investigating whether the current time limits and requirements to separately prove injury are appropriate.

  1. Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change towards ending sexual, domestic and family violence in their communities
  • Commit $5 million to a treaty process, including consultation with community which may respond to calls in the platform for a truth and justice process.  
  • Work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to address misidentification of the primary aggressor, to evaluate supports for Aboriginal communities and improve early intervention and prevention.

  1. Develop and implement a workforce development plan for the specialist sexual, domestic and family violence sector
  • Support the development of a workforce development plan and improved training within the sector.

Greens

The Greens NSW are committed to implementing in full the recommendations of the NSW Women’s Alliance Election Platform Action to End Gendered Violence. You can read their response in full here.  

  1. A coordinated, whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence policy in NSW
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations, which you can read here.
  • Will continue to advocate for the creation of dedicated Ministries, for the Premier’s Priority to reduce domestic violence recidivism to be realigned with a focus on no domestic homicides, and for improvements to government consultation processes on strategy, policy, and legislation.

  1. Commitment to intersectional primary prevention to end all violence and promote gender equality
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations, which you can read here.
  • Will commit to developing resources to educate and empower frontline and public-facing workforces, including in healthcare, teaching, and financial services, to identify signs of gendered violence and refer victim-survivors to specialist services.

  1. Immediate and long-term supports for people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations, which you can read here.
  • Will commit to establishing specialist service standard contract lengths of five years, we will also extend standard funding contract lengths to seven years in rural areas and 10 years in remote communities.

  1. Safe and appropriate housing for everybody experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic, and family violence
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations, which you can read here.
  • Will commit to building 10,000 new social and public homes every year for 10 years to address the public housing waitlist.

  1. Reform legal systems and policing for people experiencing sexual, domestic, and family violence
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations, which you can read here.
  • Will commit to establishing an inquiry independent of the police into the handling of domestic violence and related cultural issues with the police and justice systems.
  • Will commit to holding the NSW Police to account for their handling of sexual assault cases, and for the police to collect and report data on sexual assault complaint discontinuations.
  • Will continue to advocate for funding for Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services, and in particular for court hearing support and police-WDVCAS co-response pilot programs. Have not yet committed to ensuring support and protections are afforded in sexual offence matters.

  1. Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change towards ending sexual, domestic, and family violence in their communities
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations, which you can read here.
  • Will commit to providing dedicated resources to develop and deliver dedicated services by and for First Nations communities. The Greens First Nations Justice policy platform can be found here and their Truth and Treaty policy platform can be found here.

  1. Develop and implement a workforce development plan for the specialist sexual, domestic and family violence sector
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations, which you can read here.
  • Will commit to introducing portability of entitlements, including long service leave, for the wider community sector, providing incentive for experienced staff to stay in the sector.

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party

You can read the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party response in full here.

  1. A coordinated, whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence policy in NSW  
  • Commit to supporting the establishment of a standing committee and coordination group within NSW Parliament to provide oversight of policy implementation in NSW, a lived expertise advisory group, a whole-of-government risk assessment and management framework, comprehensive training for the service sector and police and support minimum standards for the sexual, domestic and family violence sector.
  • Commit to ensuring all relevant policies and plans relating to sexual, domestic, and family violence include clear, meaningful, and measurable targets overseen by the coordination group and are subject to authentic consultation.
  • Commit to the development of comparable datasets to support a consistent national approach for service data for people impacted by sexual, domestic, and family violence as part of the first five- year Action Plan under the new National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032.
  • Advocate to ensure the recommendations of the Domestic Violence Death Review Team are adequately funded, especially those which haven’t been addressed for more than four years.
  • Commit to reforming and expanding the membership of the NSW Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Council to include representatives from sector and lived expertise.
  • Advocate for local decision-making processes in rural and regional areas across a range of sectors.

  1. Commitment to intersectional primary prevention to end all violence and promote gender equality  
  • Advocate to fund a primary prevention strategy developed from the direct input of stakeholders and support existing successful primary prevention strategies.
  • Advocate for programs embedded in NSW school systems to be adequately funded and supported to ensure consistent implementation, with adequately funded roles to implement Respectful Relationships programs and its evaluation.
  • Advocate for funding to be provided to state-wide primary prevention initiatives, including initiatives designed by and for marginalised groups in addition to specialist cultural and faith-based family violence services on a long-term basis.
  • Advocate for funding of primary prevention initiatives to build the evidence base required to inform effective, evidence-based and whole-of-community interventions.
  • Advocate for funding to be provided to programs that engage the business community in primary prevention strategies in addition to capacity enhancement of services.

  1. Immediate and long-term supports for people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence  
  • Advocate for adequate resourcing and funding of sexual, domestic and family violence services on a minimum five-year basis.
  • Support all evidence-based mechanisms and initiatives to improve workplace-related support for those experiencing gender-based violence, including mandatory trauma training across all government and non-government organisations providing services to victim-survivors.
  • Support all strategies to reduce the impact of victim-survivors when matters involving them appear before criminal or civil court.

  1. Safe and appropriate housing for everybody experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Advocate for significant financial investment to address the housing crisis.
  • Advocate for a re-evaluation of how community housing is resourced and managed based on data, evidence, and the re-examination of all current restrictive assessment criteria.
  • Commit to working with all parties to ensure housing supply caters for marginalised groups and is maintained to a legislated minimum standard.

  1. Reform legal systems and policing for people experiencing sexual, domestic, and family violence  
  • Support all legislative changes in regards to sexual, domestic and family violence to be evidence-based, transparent and with appropriate engagement, consultation and training with the sector.  
  • Support police and courts being adequately resourced and structured to support victim-survivors and the implementation of regular compliance checks.

  1. Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change towards ending sexual, domestic, and family violence in their communities
  • Agrees Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander peoples are best placed to design, and lead positive change in ending sexual, domestic and family violence in their communities.  
  • Support the need for systemic and cultural change within government and review of current support systems.
  • Advocate that all government initiatives, funding and programs should be transparent and accountable in terms of design, structure, implementation and delivery of outcomes.
  • Support all mechanisms and initiatives to improve the supply of housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those in rural and remote areas.
  • Silent on treaty and truth and justice processes.

  1. Develop and implement a workforce development plan for the specialist sexual, domestic and family violence sector
  • Support a well-resourced and funded sector for dealing with sexual, domestic and family violence.  
  • Support building capacity within these culturally diverse communities to ensure that responses and services are led by those that are part of that community.

Animal Justice Party  

Animal Justice Party has endorsed all asks and recommendations outlined in the NSW Women’s Alliance Election Platform Action to End Gendered Violence. You can read their response in full here.  

  1. A coordinated, whole-of-government approach to sexual, domestic and family violence policy in NSW
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations in full, which you can read here.

  1. Commitment to intersectional primary prevention to end all violence and promote gender equality
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations in full, which you can read here.

  1. Immediate and long-term supports for people experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic and family violence
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations in full, which you can read here.

  1. Safe and appropriate housing for everybody experiencing and recovering from sexual, domestic, and family violence
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations in full, which you can read here.

  1. Reform legal systems and policing for people experiencing sexual, domestic, and family violence
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations in full, which you can read here.

  1. Enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead change towards ending sexual, domestic, and family violence in their communities
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations in full, which you can read here. ‍‍

  1. Develop and implement a workforce development plan for the specialist sexual, domestic and family violence sector
  • Supports the Action to End Gendered Violence recommendations in full, which you can read here.

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Pauline Hanson’s One Nation

One Nation abhors violence against women and children. If convicted offenders should be jailed.

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The NSW Women’s Alliance acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia, including the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate, the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have lived and cared for Country for over 65,000 years and continue to do so; this land was never ceded. We respect all Aboriginal Elders past, present and emerging.

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