Thursday, 30 May 2024

Ministers statements: gendered violence

Ben CARROLL (Niddrie – Minister for Education, Minister for Medical Research) (14:34): Getting a good education is more than just getting good marks; it is about becoming a member of society, living a life of purpose and making sure you do everything you can to be a full member of our community. That is why many of us in this chamber heard Rosie Batty speak recently when she launched her book Hope upstairs. We heard her speak passionately about how the 1950 Respectful Relationships schools right across our state under the Allan Labor government are making a real difference in targeting toxic masculinity but also promoting positive masculinity and calling out gender-related violence. That is why Premier Allan today announced more support for the Respectful Relationships initiative, making sure we target and model respect and equality for all our young people that are growing up, because all the evidence shows that education is the key to ending the vicious cycle of family violence, which is why teaching Respectful Relationships at school is so important.

We all have a role to play. I have a role to play and the member for Mordialloc has a new role to play, and can I also congratulate the member for Albert Park on becoming the Parliamentary Secretary for Education and on the important work she will do with me as we continue the rollout of Respectful Relationships right across all sectors of the education system. We all heard Rosie Batty, and just recently she addressed the national press. She said:

More than 94 per cent of perpetrators are men. We must hold those perpetrators to account, yes, but we must also instil in our boys something better than this narrow and damaging definition we use to describe a ‘real man’.

…

We must teach them instead that being stoic, tough and in control means nothing without … being compassionate, thoughtful and kind.

That is what the Respectful Relationships initiative under the Allan Labor government is all about: instilling in our young boys and our young people the respect that they need to have to make sure that all people of all backgrounds know that gender-related violence is not on and that you show respect in the classroom and respect at home.