The anniversary comes a week after a recent major review of the Closing the Gap agreement where the Productivity Commission warned that policies meant to improve life for First Nations people will fail without fundamental government changes. 

The government is scheduled to table their annual report today on the progress of the policies and programs tied to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. This report will analyse progress from 2023. The government will also present the next Closing the Gap Implementation plan to outline the new actions they’re taking to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. 

“The entrenched inequality experienced by many Indigenous Australians is completely unacceptable,” said Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney. “And unfortunately, actions so far have not led to the change needed.”

“The first Productivity Commission Review on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap makes it clear that all governments need to do better– states, territories and the Commonwealth,” she said. “We’ll work with the Coalition of Peace and across governments to consider the findings of the report.”

Marking today’s significant anniversary, Burney met with members of the Stolen Generations and their families in Canberra.

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The national program amplifying the voices of the Stolen Generation– The Healing Foundation– has said that as the government’s annual progress report on Closing the Gap policies is handed down today, “we must recognise that Stolen Generations survivors are a ‘gap within the gap’, a statistical indicator of truth not reconciled.”

As Stolen Generations survivors age, urgency grows,” the Foundation said in a statement. 

“We must ensure consistent and adequate compensation is seen by survivors in their lifetime. And with many survivors sadly passing away, there is no time to waste.”

“We invite Australians to stand alongside Stolen Generations survivors as we renew our call for the counting of actions, not anniversaries.”

Labor announces $707m job program for Indigenous Australians

The Albanese Government has also announced it will invest $707 million in a new Remote Jobs program that will create 3,000 jobs over the next three years.  

This new program is meant to replace the widely-criticised Community Development Program (CDP). 

Speaking to these developments, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy told the ABC that the CDP is currently the sole employment opportunity for most First Nations people in remote areas, but over the last 5-10 years, it’s had “some really serious problems”.

“When we came to government, we said we needed to look at the CDP program and abolish it because we recognised it didn’t have superannuation, it didn’t have holiday leave– it didn’t have all the entitlements that come with supporting workers.”

“So this is our first step,” she says, adding that the Prime Minister’s announcement today is “significant” as they embark on the future of this Remote Job program. 

The government says the program will start in the second half of this year, and will be “grounded in self determination”, allowing communities to decide what jobs are created, such as in community services and the care sector, hospitality and tourism, horticulture and retail.

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Middleton has over 30 years experience covering federal politics as a reporter, analyst and commentator.

For the past eight years, she’s been chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper. Prior to that, Middleton was chief political correspondent for SBS and political editor for The West Australian. 

She’s also a regular panellist on ABC Insiders, a commentator on Australian politics for a range of domestic and international outlets and has written two books– a biography of Anthony Albanese; “Telling it Straight” and “An Unwinnable War” about Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan. 

Middleton says she’s “thrilled to be joining Guardian Australia”. 

“It’s already a big year in politics, and I look forward to working with the great team in Canberra to try to make sense of it all,” she says, as she’ll be joining the Canberra office to oversee Guardian Australia’s political coverage.

Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor says she’s “delighted” that Middleton will be joining the team, noting the “decades of experience, judgement, a significant record of news breaking and excellent analytical skills” that she’ll bring to the publication.

Middleton’s appointment follows the resignation of the former political editor at Guardian Australia, Katharine Murphy, roughly two weeks ago. 

A respected Australian journalist with nearly 30 years in the field, Murphy announced on social media that she was resigning to work in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office. Having worked at Guardian Australia since the British media outlet extended to Australia in 2013, she, and the publication’s editor, Lenore Taylor, were key in the establishment of the independent media organisation in Australia.

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The Bill finalises the government’s expansion of paid parental leave that was first announced in the October 2022-23 Budget, increasing the scheme to 26 weeks, or 6 months by July 2026.

From July 1 2024, parents will be eligible for an additional two weeks of leave to the current 18 weeks on offer, followed by another two in 2025 and then the final weeks in 2026. 

Four weeks are reserved for each parent on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis, with these changes designed to encourage parents to share the care.

The Bill also introduces concurrent leave, which means that from 2026, both parents can take four weeks of leave at the same time if they choose to, providing families with the flexibility to arrange their care how they need. 

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth says the extra six weeks of is part of a total investment of $1.2 billion over five years from the Labor government towards paid parental leave. 

“Paid Parental Leave is a proud Labor legacy and our Albanese Labor Government is building and expanding on that legacy,” says Rishworth. 

“This will benefit over 180,000 families each year and represents the biggest expansion of the scheme since Labor introduced it in 2011.”

“The Bill gives Australian families more Paid Parental Leave than ever before and will support participation and productivity over the longer term, providing a dividend for the Australian economy,” she says.

There’s mounting evidence of a “motherhood penalty”, which refers to how becoming a mum in Australia comes with a high price for women. It occurs primarily because women take time out of the workforce or work fewer hours after having a child, which sees their lifetime earnings reduce significantly.

Creating an environment for fathers to take more parental leave has been shown to combat this, as shared parental leave policies can foster an equal division of unpaid care and paid work. 

Support for the Bill

Offering their suport for the increase to paid parental leave, the Australian Chamber of Commerce said “businesses are set to benefit by ensuring that fewer productive employees end up leaving workplaces permanently and more women remain in the labour market.”

Equality Rights Alliance, Australia’s largest network of organisations advocating for gender equality, has called the changes “equality enabling” and that it offers “significant advances in the promotion of Australian women’s economic security.”

Dr Leonora Risse, an economist specialising in gender equality, noted that this is a “historic milestone” for women’s rights and economic standing, and gender equality in Australia.

“The amendments in this Bill are an indisputable and significant improvement from previous policy settings and are strongly welcomed,” said Dr Risse. 

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“I’m very proud to lead the first government in Australia with a majority of women in our membership,” Albanese said to government leaders who gathered together at Parliament House on Wednesday morning to officially launch Australia’s 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations. 

“You can see across every portfolio, this makes a difference. Because of women campaigning with the union movement, making it clear that no one should have to choose between safety and their job, we now have 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave.”

“Because of women’s advocacy and the work of experts like Anne Summers, emphasising the way that poverty and financial dependency trap people in violent relationships, we’ve delivered more support for single mums,” he said.

“When women are seeking help, they should be heard and seen, believed, supported and empowered.”

“While women are shaping these policies and driving these responses, ending this epidemic of violence has to involve men stepping up. Because violence against women is not a problem that women should have to solve.”

The tragic number of women killed in Australia shows that the epidemic of violence plaguing the nation. In 2023, Destroy the Joint data revealed a staggering 64 women’s lives were stolen by violence, and already this year, six women have lost their lives to violence. 

The gender-based nature of this violence is clear, as men are often the perpetrators of physical violence, sexual harassment and sexual violence. This reality makes Albanese’s call for men to “take responsibility” all the more critical. 

Ahead of the UN Global Day of Observance on 8 March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton co-hosted the annual UN Women Australia event. 

“The lead-up to International Women’s Day is an opportunity for all of us to recognise the progress that women are driving across our economy and our society,” Albanese said.

“It’s a chance to re-affirm our commitment to true gender equality – in the community, the boardroom, on the sporting field, in our parliaments. Above all, this is a time when we must face-up to where we are falling short and look for new ways to do better.”

Also present at the event were some of the government’s most high profile womne, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Minister for Women Katy Gallagher and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth.

This year’s official theme for IWD is ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress’, based on the priority theme for the United Nations 68th Commission on the Status of Women, exploring the pathways to greater economic inclusion for women and girls everywhere.

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The Commission’s scathing report says that the government must give more power to Indigenous communities to achieve real change. 

Closing the Gap was established 15 years ago, but in 2020, all Australian governments signed up to implement a new national agreement with a radical overhaul of the strategy. They committed to do everything possible “to overcome the entrenched inequality faced by too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people so that their life outcomes are equal to those of all Australians”. 

The Productivity Commission was asked to consult with Indigenous communities on progress so far. 

The Commission’s report has strongly criticised governments for being unwilling to relinquish control, lacking accountability and providing only tokenistic engagement with Indigenous organisations.

“Most critically, the Agreement requires government decision-makers to accept that they do not know what is best for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” the Closing the Gap review states. 

“Change can be confronting and difficult. But without fundamental change, the Agreement will fail and the gap will remain.”

Closing the gap data shows that the national target of ‘no gap in life expectancy’ is not on track to be met for Indigenous males or females. Neither are the ‘no gap’ targets for areas such as healthy birth weights for Indigenous children, early childhood education enrolment rates, participation in the workforce, suicide rates, rates of incarceration or housing stability. 

There are four priority reforms in the agreement, and the Commission’s report focussed on assessing progress in these areas to identify ways to improve socioeconomic outcomes. The key targets, all of which aren’t being met, include: shared decision-making, building the community-controlled sector, transforming government organisations and sharing access to data. 

“When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are given ownership over the decisions that affect their lives, the resources they need, and the opportunity to partner with government, we see better outcomes,” said Catherine Liddle, the Acting Lead Convenor of Coalition of Peaks– a partner to the National Agreement and a group representing more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak organisations.

Pointing out that there’s been no significant funding since 2008, Liddle said more funding was needed to deliver the reforms.

“We are calling for a dedicated Closing the Gap fund, enshrined in legislation, and directed to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and our organisations to support our self-determination,” she said. 

“Next week the Prime Minister will address Parliament on the anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations, and we hope his words will be matched with action.”

Liddle also said this will be “the first time the Prime Minister has addressed the nation in a significant way” following the national referendum in October, which saw Australia vote “no” to including an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. 

Government response

Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, told National Indigenous Times the government agrees “that progress by all partners in implementing the Priority Reforms so far has not led to the extent of change needed”, acknowledging the report “reveals limited progress on the four Priority Reforms”.

In response to the report’s findings, Burney says the government will take some time to work with their Coalition of Peaks and state and territory government colleagues to consider the findings. 

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Morrison’s 16-year political career, including four tumultuous years leading the country, was not without controversy. On several occasions, he said some things and made some decisions that would go down in history – and not in a good way.

Women’s Agenda has collated his not-so-finest moments and the “legacy” he has left behind, particularly for women in Australia.

LIVE PICTURES of people congregating at Parliament House to mourn the end of Scott Morrison’s time in politics pic.twitter.com/bjkZ1uhQbD

— The Shovel (@TheShovel) January 23, 2024

As we say goodbye to Scomo, here’s the legacy he’s left behind for women.

Women can have power, but not at the expense of men

Feminism means equality, ladies! And equality means women are not allowed to even think about touching positions of power held by men. Ever. 

In what was probably the worst time and location to express this old, twisted yet widely-held sentiment, the newly elected Prime Minister stood up and did just that at an International Women’s Day breakfast in 2019.

“We want to see women rise,” Morrison said, “but we don’t want to see women rise only on the basis of others doing worse.”

Read the room, mate.

Women should be lucky they can protest without being shot

On March 15 2021, thousands of women gathered outside of Parliament House in Canberra, demanding equality, justice and an end to gender-based violence for women in Australia.

Organisers of the event called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to make time to speak with them and hear their voices.

Scomo chose to ignore their request and instead reminded us just how “lucky” we are.

“Not far from here, such marches, even now, are being met with bullets,” he said during Question Time.

If there was no danger, no violence, no “bullets”, then what was Scomo’s excuse to not come out and look those women in the eyes? Must’ve been a very busy day in Canberra.

Women’s political opinions can’t be taken seriously

In February last year, Hollywood icon Pamela Anderson revealed an “insensitive” and “smutty” comment Scott Morrison made in response to her advocacy for Julian Assange.

In her memoir Love, Pamela, Anderson writes about her interaction with Morrison when she approached him as an advocate and vocal supporter of WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. She had publicly urged him to appeal to British and American authorities to free Assange, appearing on 60 Minutes to make the case.

“While I was in Australia, I had hoped to meet with PM Scott Morrison, to make a plea in person to the Australian government to help Julian,” she wrote.

“After I wrote an open letter to Mr Morrison, he responded cheekily in the press by saying he’d love to meet me if he could bring a few of his buddies along. That didn’t go over well — women were unimpressed with his insensitive remarks, which, by then, had reached the international press.

“You trivialised and laughed about the suffering of an Australian and his family. You followed it with smutty, unnecessary comments about a woman voicing her political opinion.”

Morrison never apologised to Anderson.

He can only take allegations of rape seriously from his perspective as a father – not as a leader

In 2022, the government launched a review into parliamentary workplace culture, following Brittany Higgins’ allegations of rape inside Parliament House in 2019.

But Morrison didn’t launch this review because he thought it was the right thing to do as a leader. He did it because his wife, Jenny, reminded him to “think about this as a father”.

“Jenny and I spoke last night and she said to me, you have to think about this as a father. What would you want to happen if it were our girls?”

Astonishing.

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Climate activism does nothing but raise “needless anxiety”

Greta Thunburg was just 16 years old when she bravely spoke out against our world leaders and their lack of action on the climate crisis.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones,” she said.

Morrison didn’t even attend the UN Summit on Climate Change to hear her powerful words in person. Yet he still had something to say about it.

“Yes, we’ve got to deal with the policy issues and we’ve got to take it seriously, but I don’t want our children having anxieties about these issues,” he said.

Pulling the wool over the next generation’s and his own eyes.

Maybe Jenny should ask Scomo – what if it were our girls facing the consequences of Australia’s lack of climate action?

Oh, that’s right, they are.

It’s totally fine to go on holiday when your country is in crisis

Shhhh! Don’t disturb the PM with a climate crisis! He’s on vacay!

This is probably his most infamous move. As a huge portion of his country was burning from devastating bushfires over the 2019-2020 Black Summer, Morrison was sipping cocktails in Hawaii.

“I don’t hold a hose mate, I don’t sit in a control room,” he flippantly said, doubling down on his decision.

Please, future world leaders, future Australian Prime Ministers – do not take notes.

No one else was capable of leadership by him during the COVID-19 pandemic

Months after he had lost the election in 2022, it was revealed that Scott Morrison had secretly appointed himself to five different ministerial portfolios during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a backbencher in Parliament House, he had very little reason to defend himself and justify his action. Bizarrely, yet absolutely on brand for Scomo, that’s exactly what he did.

“As Prime Minister, only I could really understand the weight of responsibility that was on my shoulders and on no-one else, and as a result I took the decisions that I thought I needed to take,” Morrison said.

It took him weeks before he actually apologised for his actions, which almost the entire country condemned him for.

That’s all, folks!

Well, that’s a wrap for Scomo in politics. 

What’s next for him, you may ask? Upon his resignation, he will be taking up several global strategic advisory positions and roles on private boards. His main area of focus will be on the US and the Indo-Pacific region.

Morrison also said he plans to spend more time with his family and his Church community.

And in just a few months, his new book, Plans For Your Good, will be published. His book on “pastoral encouragement” will be released on May 21, exactly two years since he was booted out as Prime Minister of Australia.

Somehow, I don’t think this is the end of Scomo in the news cycle. Not just yet, anyway.

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The former Prime Minister of Australia revealed he will be taking up several global strategic advisory positions and roles on private boards. His main area of focus will be on the US and the Indo-Pacific region.

Speculation on his retirement has been growing in the last eight months, with Australian media outlets first to break the story of his imminent departure today.

Morrison released a statement shortly after, saying he is looking forward to taking on “new challenges”, as well as spending more time with his family and his Church community.

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“After having served in the parliament for more than sixteen years, including almost 4 years as Prime Minister during a very challenging time for our country, now is the time to move on and enable a new member to be elected who can bring fresh energy and a long term commitment to serving our local community in this role,” Morrison said.

“My family have sacrificed a great deal to support my service to our country and local community as a member of parliament, Minister and Prime Minister. I am grateful for their support, but the time has come for me to return to private life and support my family to pursue their goals and for us to spend more time together as a family.”

The legacy of Scomo

Scott Morrison has been the Liberal Member for Cook since 2007. He became a cabinet minister in 2013 as the immigration minister and held other portfolios in his time, including social services minister and the treasurer. 

Four of his 16 years in politics were served as the Prime Minister of Australia, after he took over as leader of the Liberal party when Malcolm Turnbull resigned.

“It has been my great privilege to represent the wonderful people of Cook for more than sixteen years in our federal parliament,” he said. “The decision to leave is always a difficult one when you have been doing something you love and feel passionate about.”

Morrison’s retirement will trigger a by-election in the Division of Cook, the electorate that covers south of Sydney, including Cronulla, Gymea and Kogarah.

“I hope to see, and invite, a strong field of candidates to bring their experience, passion and dedication to our community, to the job,” Morrison said in his statement.

“I look forward to supporting that successful candidate in their local campaign, along with our Party Leader Peter Dutton and his deputy Sussan Ley who are doing a great job holding the Albanese Labor Government to account, and providing a clear alternative to lead Australia forward.”

Since 1969, the Cook electorate has only ever had one Labor MP representing its constituents in parliament – Ray Thorburn, who held the seat from 1972-1975. For the 52 other years, the Liberal party has held the seat.

In his statement, Morrison said he was proud of his achievements in government, including his role in the global pandemic “saving lives and livelihoods”.

“There will be time later to speak of these achievements and thank everyone involved, including my parliamentary colleagues, when I leave the parliament,” he said.

“Today, my priority is to express my deep gratitude to my community and my family for supporting me to do this job for as long as I have. It has been an honour.”

Morrison’s book

Earlier this month, the former Prime Minister announced the release date of his new book, Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness.

Morrison is publishing his book with Thomas Nelson, a branch of Harper Collins Christian Publishing. The expected release date of the 288-page book is May 21, marking exactly two years since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defeated him in the 2022 Federal Election.

Morrison and his publisher have clarified the book will be less of a political memoir and more “pastoral encouragement”, reflecting on how God and his Christian faith has helped guide him throughout his 16-year political career and four-year leadership of Australia.

On the Thomas Nelson website, his publisher says the book will come at a time “where cancel culture, identity politics and deep secularisation is taking hold across so many western societies.”

Upon announcing the release date of his book, Morrison revealed who will be writing the foreword: former Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence.

Morrison and Pence are thought to have a strong relationship, developed during their time in office. According to reports from The Sydney Morning Herald, Morrison phoned Pence, not Trump, when the Trump administration failed to secure a second term in office at the 2020 US election.

Pence is also very open about his strong Christian faith. In 2022, Pence released his own faith-centred memoir, titled So Help Me God.

According to an article in Politico, Mike Pence often says: “I am a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.”

The inclusion of Pence’s foreword is expected to assist the book in expanding its market interest globally, especially in the US.

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“All too often, seeking justice adds to the trauma experienced by victims and survivors,” said Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus as he announced the inquiry.

“This inquiry will look at how we can improve victims’ and survivors’ experiences in the justice system by examining relevant laws and legal frameworks, justice sector practices, supports for victims and survivors, and transformative approaches to justice.”

The inquiry falls under the government’s First Action Plan of the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, which was part of the government’s $14.7 million package in the last budget.

Dreyfus has appointed the Hon Marcia Neave AO and her Honour Judge Liesl Kudelka of the District Court of South Australia as part-time Commissioners to lead this inquiry.

The inquiry is a key step towards improving justice responses to sexual violence and follows years of sex and consent advocacy in Australia, driven by young women, including Saxon Mullins, Nina Funnell, Brittany Higgins, Grace Tame and Chanel Contos. 

These activists were part of a national roundtable last year set up to inform the terms of reference for this long-promised inquiry.

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The Government has also established a sexual violence lived-experience Expert Advisory Group (EAG) “to ensure the real life experience of victims and survivors are front and centre in the ALRC inquiry”. 

The Minister for Women, Senator Katy Gallagher, said “we consistently hear from women about the issues that affect them – and sadly, sexual violence is raised all too often as something that impacts women’s lives.”

“Seeking justice shouldn’t add to the trauma for victims and this inquiry will look at ways to not only strengthen sexual assault laws but to improve the outcomes and experiences for victims and survivors.”

In Australia, 1 in 5 women has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.

The home is a dangerous place for this form of violence. For women, 53 per cent of perpetrators are intimate partners, while 69 per cent of assaults occur in a home, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

And the rates of violence are disproportionately higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, with 3 in 5 experiencing physical or sexual violence perpetrated by an intimate partner. 

Women with disability in Australia also are twice as likely to have experienced sexual violence over their lifetime than women without disabilities. 

Greens leader and Senator Larissa Waters said that to change these “unacceptable rates” and “end Australia’s culture of sexual violence”, victims need to feel supported to come forwards to report. This requires the dismantling of “the power imbalances and gender stereotypes that deter them from doing so”. 

“Many victim-survivors of sexual, family and domestic violence describe the court process as horrific and retraumatising.

“It will be important to survivors that any ALRC recommendations are taken seriously and implemented promptly, they have waited long enough for a justice system that actually delivers justice for sexual violence survivors,” said Waters. 

Last week, the Australian government released a national framework on consent messaging and the promotion of healthy sexual relationships. Under the new framework, the term “consent” is defined more clearly in an effort to create more consistency.

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

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But our history stinks of division – the hatred towards migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, the exclusion of women and people who identify as LGBTQIA+, and of course, the systematic oppression of our nation’s First Peoples.

In more recent times, Australians have worked to disrupt the divisive discourse that has plagued our country with rallies, protests and speaking out against old traditions, including so-called Australia Day.

But this offends those who hold power in a system built on patriarchy and white supremacy and refuse to accept any other way of life.

Let’s be specific here: it offends Peter Dutton.

On Thursday, after Woolworths and BIG W announced they would no longer stock “Australia Day merchandise” in stores leading up to January 26, Peter Dutton declared Australians, in retaliation, should boycott Woolworths.

“I don’t want to go into Woolworths and be told how I need to vote, how I feel about Australia Day,” he said in an interview on 2GB radio.

“If they don’t want to celebrate Australia Day, well that’s a decision for them, but I think people should boycott Woolworths.”

He described Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci’s decision as following the “woke agenda of Anthony Albanese”.

Later in the interview, Dutton aligned Banducci with former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce for “doubling down” on the decision.

Let me repeat: Dutton likened the sale of Qantas plane tickets for more than 8,000 already cancelled flights, to Woolworths and BIG W no longer selling hats, temporary tattoos and beach towels with the Australian flag on it.

Dutton’s comments took many Australians right back to his divisive strategy during the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, where more than 60 per cent of the country voted No to constitutional recognition of Australia’s First Peoples.

Particularly because, on the same day, none other than the leading No campaigner Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price jumped on-air to back Dutton’s comments.

“I think we should be boycotting those who are prepared to not be proud of this country,” Nampijinpa Price said on 3AW.

Unity, not division

When I speak with people who aren’t from Australia and know very little about the country, I find it really hard to explain why we have a public holiday on January 26.

What was once a day I naively loved, a day I carelessly spent at the beach playing cricket and kicking the footy around as a child, I now know is a day that causes my fellow Australians so much hurt and so much pain.

January 26 marks the first day the British colony touched down on Indigenous land, the first day of what would be decades of erasure, oppression and, ultimately, division.

I don’t celebrate Australia Day because I hope one day we can be united, not because I want to cause division. I, like many Australians, don’t celebrate Australia Day because we are yearning for change.

But those who benefit from our current power structure are hesitant to change, and they’ll give any excuse to avoid progress just so they can be in the room where it happens.

Nothing new from Dutton

Disguising hatred and division with arguments of freedom of thought and unity – unfortunately, it’s nothing new from Dutton.

We saw it in November, when he accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Question Time of being complicit to growing anti-Semitism amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

We saw it in the lead up to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum in October, when the No campaign recklessly distributed bouts of misinformation not only about the Yes campaign, but also about Australia’s independent voting body, the Australian Electoral Commission.

Each time Dutton says or does something divisive, he’ll say it’s all in the name of a united Australia.

But our country has never been a united one, and it never will be unless we change something.

Australians want this change. In fact, Woolworths cited a lack of consumer interest in Australia Day merchandise as the reason they are no longer stocking items.

“There has been a gradual decline in demand for Australia Day merchandise from our stores over recent years,” Woolworths said in a statement.

“At the same time there’s been broader discussion about 26 January and what it means to different parts of the community.”

If anything, a staunch capitalist like Peter Dutton should be picking up what consumers are putting down. Take the politics out of it, and Woolworths’ decision is simply responding supply and demand. 

But there is politics in everything, and as Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said on Thursday, this is a “culture war” declared on the left by Peter Dutton.

When asked to respond on Dutton’s comments, Anthony Albanese told Melbourne radio station Fox that Australia Day should be a time to “reflect on what it means to be Australian”.

It’s time Peter Dutton listens to Albanese’s advice, and gives up the charade that he is working in the name of unity.

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Donna Faragher MLC, the only current female member of the Legislative Council from the Liberal party, announced she would not enter the bid for her Upper House seat as the member for East Metropolitan Region in Perth in WA’s 2025 election.

“It is an honour and privilege to serve as a member of parliament and to represent the East Metropolitan community in the Legislative Council, a region where I have lived all my life,” Faragher told the AAP.

Her resignation will mark 20 years serving in WA state politics, the longest a female member has served in either house in the state.

Faragher has had a trailblazing career for women in politics in WA. When she was elected in 2005, she became the youngest woman from the Liberal party to enter the WA parliament, and the second youngest overall. Faragher was 29 years old.

Faragher quickly joined the shadow cabinet ministry and, when Colin Barnett’s Liberal government won the 2008 election, she became the youngest woman in WA to hold a cabinet ministerial office. At 33, she served as the Minister for Environment and the Minister for Youth.

Faragher continued working for the Liberal party after resigning from the ministry in 2010, when she had her first child. After a six-year stint as a parliamentary secretary to the premier, she re-entered the ministry as Minister for Planning and Minister for Disability Services in 2016.

In her inaugural speech in 2005, Faragher acknowledged her youth, but showed how she could use it to her advantage in what would become a 20-year career in parliament.

“By standing here today, I acknowledge that I am a relatively young member; indeed, the youngest Liberal woman to have stood in either house of this state Parliament,” she said. 

“Therefore, there are many things that I have not yet experienced, but I feel that through my own experiences to date and those of my peers in their 20s, 30s and 40s, I can positively represent the issues, aspirations and challenges facing these Australians.”

Later in her speech, she acknowledged that it was a Liberal government in Western Australia that was the first in the country to promote a woman as a Minister.

“Although I do not suggest that we should ever rest on our successes, Liberals do have a proud history, and I believe our achievements should never be forgotten or rewritten to suit other people’s ends,” she said in her speech.

Gender make-up in parliament

Currently, there are seven members from the Liberal party holding seats in WA’s Upper House, the Legislative Council. Six of those seats are held by men, while the seventh is held by the sole Liberal woman, Faragher – for the next year at least.

In the Lower House, the Legislative Assembly, just three Liberal members hold seats – two women and one man.

The Legislative Assembly is gender-balanced, with 29 male members and 29 female members sitting in parliament.

Meanwhile, the Legislative Council consists of 21 male and just 14 female MLCs. WA’s next election will be held in March 2025.

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The South Australian police have named the victim as Julie “Julez” Seed, 38, in what they suspect was “a random attack”. A second woman, aged 50, sustained injuries and was taken to hospital where she’s reportedly in stable condition.  A 30-year-old man has been arrested, and police said he is expected to be charged with murder. 

With this latest life lost, the total number of women killed by violence in 2023 ticks over to a chilling 61. 

In 2022, that number sat at 57 at the end of the year, according to statistics from Destroy the Joint. Just last week, Women’s Agenda reported that Australia had surpassed this number in a tragic conclusion to the annual 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

Since then, another woman was killed in a stabbing at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra. On Tuesday, a man was charged with her murder. 

While it can be hard to make sense of all this violence, one thing is for certain— when it comes to ensuring women’s safety in Australia, we’ve found ourselves in a very grim place this year. 

One woman is killed by an intimate partner every week, while Indigenous women are eight times more likely than non-Indigenous women to be murdered. 

One in six women have experience physical or sexual violence by a partner, and over half of women in their twenties have experience sexual violence. 

And for those women fleeing family violence, only 3 per cent receive the long-term housing they need. 

The director of the National Women’s Safety Alliance, Katherine Berney, has shared her thoughts on Women’s Agenda this week on these unacceptably high domestic violence rates.

“This year, there have been close to 50,000 articles published specifically focused on violence against women. There have been so many words written, roundtables, conferences, and discussion. People are anguished, they are angry and rightly so,” she says

“These statistics paint a horrendous and uncomfortable picture about how we value survivors’ experiences across the nation.”

Steps taken in 2023 to improve women’s safety

It’s obvious that more must be done to prevent the epidemic of violence against women that Australia is facing. Nevertheless, there have been some proactive steps taken this year for women’s safety that are worth highlighting.

For the first time, the federal government set targets for ending violence against women and children, including a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander action plan. The five-year plan aims to reduce the number of women killed by intimate partner violence by 25 per cent each year.

As part of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032, the Albanese government announced a $15 million investment into First Nations-led research on family, domestic and sexual violence.

Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) launched a five-year plan to address the next steps towards ending violence against women. This framework is helping guide researchers, funders, policymakers, survivor advocates and social impact organisations who work in the domestic and family violence space.

In November this year, the New South Wales government introduced new legislation against choking. The proposed amendments place serious strangulation offences into definitions of “serious violence offence” and “serious sex offence”, which are in the same category as other crimes including murder and manslaughter.

The telephone helpline 1800RESPECT also expanded its services to provide support for victims of family, domestic and sexual violence via SMS text message.

And, this month, the South Australian government has announced it will hold a royal commission into family and domestic violence following the horrific alleged murders of several women in recent weeks.

With all of this momentum towards ensuring women’s safety, many are asking themselves why we aren’t seeing a change. The number of women being killed by violence has increased this year and the statistics are painting a horrendous picture. 

“If you want to make change, sit with these statistics, feel uncomfortable with them,” Katherine Berney says. 

“Resist the temptation to look for cause and effect and to think ‘this won’t happen to me, I’m way more careful’. Start from a position of empathy rather than framing what interventions from the victim could have prevented the violence that has occurred.”

“The simplest thing that anyone can do to make change in domestic family and sexual violence is to start by believing.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via 1800RESPECT.org.au or text 0458 737 732. 

If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au.

Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Supporter, call 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In an emergency, call 000.

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As the year approaches its end, we’re looking back at the Top 10 most ridiculous, problematic, funny or sensational things we’ve covered at Women’s Agenda this year. 

Dominic Perrottet admitting he wore a Nazi uniform costume to his 21st birthday— January

Remember this conservative father of six? He stepped into the role as NSW premier in October 2021. In January this year he called a press conference to share the “mistake” he made when he put on a Nazi uniform costume at his “uniforms” themed 21st birthday party .

The 40-year old said he was “deeply ashamed” and “truly sorry for the hurt and the pain that it will cause people right across our state.”

“I just did not understand the gravity and the hurt of what that uniform means to people, not just to our state, but around the country and around the world,” he said.

He credited his parents with reminding him how “wrong and insensitive” his actions were. Two months later, he stepped down as Liberal leader after losing the state election to Labor. 

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Stuart Robert describing himself as “a dutiful cabinet minister” – March

In July 2019, Liberal MP Stuart Robert went on national TV to defend the Robodebt program. He did this despite knowing there were “massive” issues with it. The disastrous program was found to be unlawful, and resulted in a $1.8 billion government settlement to hundreds of thousands of victims.

Earlier this year, during the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, Robert told commissioner Catherine Holmes he was a “a dutiful cabinet minister.”  He said it was an act of “cabinet solidarity” to defend government programs even when you don’t agree with them.

He also admitted to  implementing “many things” that he “passionately disagrees with” because he is required as a minister to represent such programs and defend them — as he did with robodebt.

Despite having “massive personal misgivings” about the scheme, he said he waited for the solicitor general’s advice before raising concerns publicly. It took him until November 2019 to announce a “refinement” of the program.

Conservative men call the Barbie movie ‘man-hating’ and ‘an assault on men’ — July

During the “Barbiemania” craze earlier this year when Greta Gerwig’s much anticipated film finally dropped, some male right-wing public figures like Ben Shapiro, Ted Cruz, and Piers Morgan were up in arms, calling the movie “man-hating” and accusing it of abandoning notions of “faith and family”.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz even called it “Chinese communist propaganda”.

YouTuber Ben Shapiro was so insulted by it he called it “one of the worst movies” he’d ever seen. 

“The movie is a sh**show. Conceptually, the movie is a sh**show,” Shapiro said in the video, which has had 2.9 million views so far.

“The basic sort of premise of the film, politically speaking, is that men and women are on two sides and they hate each other. And literally, the only way you can have a happy world is if the women ignore the men and the men ignore the women.” 

Sky News commentator Piers Morgan called the film “an assault on men”.

“All the male characters in the Barbie world are simply called ‘Ken’,” he said. “So it’s pretty clear where this movie is going. This is an assault on not just Ken, but all men.” 

Who knew that a simple movie that put women in the forefront (instead of the background) could trigger such fragile emotions? 

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The last ‘male sanctuary’ – the barber shop that didn’t want to allow women — August

Meanwhile, in Adelaide, a barber shop publicly declared itself a ‘male only’ space. The owner of Robbie’s Chop Shop in Unley, Adelaide applied for an exemption from the state’s Equal Opportunity Act in order to provide a “male sanctuary” space for their customers.

The business posted an open letter on Instagram announcing its application for the exemption and calling on the community to support the business’ agenda. 

“A complaint has recently been made to the Equal Opportunity SA about our Robbie’s Chop Shop and its request that women observe our status as ‘the last male sanctuary’,” the letter read.

“Whilst we feel that this complaint is misconceived, we are doing our best to resolve the situation in a respectful and understanding manner to the satisfaction of all involved.”

The shop hangs signs that chart its Five Commandments, which include “Male Only. Don’t Lose Your Place. No Stress (It’s Ok Not To Be Ok). Love Thy Barber. BE A MAN!”

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The male barristers who put up a fake “Men in Law Awards” poster in Melbourne — September 

In September, inside the lift of Melbourne’s Owen Dixon Chambers, a fake “Men in Law Awards” poster was noticed by several observers. The poster purported to be from The Victorian Bar Association. “The Men in Law Awards” called for nominations for prizes including “most woke counsel” and “best virtue-signalling counsel.” 

The notice read: “The Men in Law Awards, in conjunction with various stakeholders and a panel of leading pseudo professionals, have developed a robust awards methodology to form the backbone for assessing, analysing and benchmarking Victoria’s leading legal professionals. Sadly this expertise will not be called upon in judging such nominations.”

It concluded with the recommendation: “Men: Bring a plate. Women: BYO”.

Journalist Louise Milligan posted a picture of the notice on LinkedIn, noting that “women barristers were not amused.”

Neither were we. 

Tim Gurner calling for a rise in unemployment to reduce “arrogance” in workers – September 

Tim Gurner, founder and CEO of property development company Gurner Group, made some particularly out of touch comments at the Australian Financial Review Property Summit in September. 

The 41-year-old millionaire criticised the productivity of tradespeople in relation to how much they are paid, saying “Tradies have definitely pulled back on productivity. They have been paid a lot to do not too much in the last few years, and we need to see that change.”

He added, “People decided they didn’t really want to work so much anymore through COVID, and that has had a massive issue on productivity.” 

According to Gurner, a “pain in the economy” was needed. He suggested a 40-50 per cent rise in the unemployment rate was needed, “…to remind people that they work for the employer, not the other way around.”

“There’s been a systematic change where employees feel the employer is extremely lucky to have them, as opposed to the other way around. It’s a dynamic that has to change. We’ve got to kill that attitude.”

We agree with Dr Collette Snowden, who said that much of the issue lay in the audience’s reaction to Gurner’s comments – or lack thereof.

“When Tim Gurner casually and sincerely suggested that pain be inflicted on other human beings – to put them in their place –  NOT ONE PERSON in the audience challenged him – they nodded their heads in agreement. He is not an isolated case,” Dr Snowden tweeted.

Anthony Pratt saying his superpower is that he is rich — October

Australian businessman and billionaire Anthony Pratt believes he has a superpower. What is it? Being rich. In October, new recordings and documents were released, reportedly suggesting the owner of paper and packaging giant Visy said in 2021 “My superpower is that I am rich.” 

The recordings revealed the nature of his relationships with former US President Donald Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani, even King Charles III. 

When you have a net worth of over AUD$15.8 billion, perhaps you really can get away with saying anything. 

Scomo’s memoir that nobody asked for — October 

This year, we found out that former PM Scott Morrison has written a memoir. The description of the book on one website reads, “Less political memoir and more pastoral encouragement, Morrison is passionate about encouraging others to discover how they can access and see the many blessings of God in their own lives, no matter their circumstances, drawing on Jeremiah 29:11, that God’s plans are for our good and not our harm, to give us a future and a hope.”

The book, set to be released in February 2024, will chart how Christianity has guided the country’s 30th PM in his leadership and how God stood by him through thick and thin.

Will you be reading it alongside our journalist, Olivia Cleal? 

AI generated woman used as fake speaker at tech conference — November

In November, developer conference DevTernity in Latvia posted a photo of a woman under the name ‘Anna Boyko’ to their event website. She was listed as a staff engineer at Coinbase and a core contributor at Ethereum.

The problem is that she’s never spoken at any events and her supposed employer, Coinbase, had never heard of her. She was a fake profile listed on a prominent conference website to boost the perceived number of female speakers.

In the aftermath of the discovery, many speakers (real people) pulled out of the conference. A few days later, the event’s organiser Eduards Sizovs confirmed in an email to Bloomberg that the whole conference had been cancelled. 

What did he blame it on?

“Cancel culture.” 

In a statement on X, he admitted to having “auto-generated” a woman’s profile after a another speaker dropped out.

“But I won’t defend myself because I don’t feel guilty,” he wrote. “I did nothing terrible that I need to apologise for. The conference has always delivered on its promise.”

Miss France has short hair and some people got really offended — December 

Finally, to top off this list of ludicrous happenings, a beauty pageant in France crowned a winner with short hair — and some people were not happy. Miss France winner Eve Gilles was crowned the winner earlier this month, sporting a short brown bob and a sweeping fringe. 

Some users on X (formerly Twitter) called the 94-year old competition of going “woke” for crowning a woman who didn’t have the conventionally feminine hairstyle of long, luscious locks. Gilles said she wanted to “show that the competition is evolving and society too, that the representation of women is diverse, in my opinion beauty is not limited to a haircut or shapes that we have… or not”.

It goes without saying that her comments are contained within an industry where nobody is larger than size 6, or over the age of 30— so her definition of ‘diverse’ doesn’t actually reflect the true representation of women’s bodies across society. 

The post Men did some ridiculous things this year. Here are our favourites appeared first on Women's Agenda.