Our Letter of Demands to Barnaby Joyce MP

To the Honourable Barnaby Joyce MP,

Member for New England, New South Wales.

The women of Armidale & surrounding communities within the New England electorate are writing to you to say:

‘Enough is Enough!’

Today, Monday, March 15th 2021, women and allies have gathered in Armidale to make our voices heard and call on you, as our elected federal representative to act against gendered violence in Parliament, workplaces and communities. 

We are outraged at the refusal of the federal government to properly and respectfully address the serious criminal allegations made against Attorney-General Christian Porter, and the shocking and harmful way in which the serious criminal allegations made by Ms Brittany Higgins have been responded to. These events have once again raised serious concerns about the treatment of women in our parliament, our workplaces, and our communities and culture misogyny and violence that underwrites them. This must end now. Enough is Enough!

Now is the time for deep, systematic change through all levels of government, to ensure a future in which all women are treated with the dignity and respect they should expect, as citizens of this Country. 

We support the demands of the March4Justice petition delivered to Parliament House today and ask you to support these, as our representative:

  • We call for an independent, far-reaching inquiry into the culture in parliament and the public service which allows men to exploit women as led by sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins.
  • We call for the immediate suspension of the minister in question, pending an independent inquiry into the suitability of this person as a member of the government.
  • We call on PM Scott Morrison to stop using language which trivialises rape and excuses the perpetrators. We ask that he commit to believing women.
  • We ask that the government recognises the pain that misogyny and sexual assault causes, and respects and believes the victims.

Additionally, we demand:

  • Full independent investigations into all cases of gendered violence and timely referrals to appropriate authorities. Full public accountability for findings.
  • No perpetrators as policy or lawmakers. Stand them down.
  • Fully implement the 55 recommendations in the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Respect@Work report of the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces 2020.
  • Ratify the International Labor Organisation’s Convention on Eliminating Violence and Harassment in the World of Work.
  • An independent review into the prevalence of gendered violence in Parliament to be conducted by the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner.
  • Strengthen the Sex Discrimination Act so that Parliamentarians and Judges are no longer excluded from accountability for sexual harassment and discrimination committed in the course of their employment as public officers.
  • Creation of a Code of Conduct for all Federal MP’s that includes the prevention of gendered violence in Houses of Parliament and associated workplaces.
  • Mandatory gendered violence and sexual harassment training of all Federal MP’s and their staff on an annual basis.
  • Create a safe and equal Australia, starting within our Houses of Parliament by:
    • The enactment of a federal Gender Equality Act to promote the Australian Government to support gender equality by conducting a national gender equity audit of all Parliaments.
    • Lift public funding for gendered violence prevention from 1% to the world’s best practice standards of 9-12% of the Federal Budget
    • All Australian Parliaments gender equal by 2030

Additionally, and more specifically to our regional electorate we demand:

We demand:

  • Increased funding and resources for regional frontline women’s support services including:
    • the Women’s Shelter Armidale
    • counselling & support services for survivors of gendered violence
    • crisis housing and housing affordability programs
    • sexual, domestic and family violence services
    • drug and alcohol rehabilitation services
    • and all other services to support women at risk or women who are the victims of gendered violence in regional Australia.
  • Increased funding for regional community safety programs (including the Armidale CBD and bike path lighting and CCTV camera projects) to make our communities safer for women, especially at night.
  • Improved training and resourcing of regional police officers to include trauma-sensitive handling of reports of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic & family violence, and other forms of gendered violence, training that is based on world best practice.
  • Improved training and resourcing for regional police in dealing with women who have been subjected to trauma and/or are suffering from mental illness.
  • Nationwide reform of the justice system to ensure reports of gendered violence are investigated fully and victims are able to receive justice. The current reporting and prosecution rates are entirely unacceptable. 
  • Increased funding and support for regional programs aiming to reduce gendered violence in our communities through education about the role of misogyny in our lives.
  • Improved education programs on consent throughout all levels of schooling, including tertiary education.
  • Greater support for regional women entering politics, so that the needs of regional women can be better represented at all levels of government.
  • Support for programs to empower regional women in business and leadership.

We ask that you support these demands at a federal level and use your position to support these and other measures aimed at ending gendered violence, improving gender equality, educating men and women about misogyny and supporting all women.

Bobbijo Harrison, Armidale NSW

On Behalf of the Armidale Women’s March4Justice Attendees.