Phil Cleary calls on Anthony Albanese to apologise for failing to stop attacks on women

Former footballer and politician Phil Cleary — whose sister was killed by an ex-boyfriend — has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to apologise for failures to stop attacks on women.

Phil Cleary says the ‘war on women’ in Australia necessitates a policing overhaul. Picture: Mark Stewart

A prominent advocate has called on Anthony Albanese to issue an apology to Australian women and urgently fund an office for the safety of women in every local council area.

Former VFL player and independent politician Phil Cleary — whose sister Vicki was stabbed to death by an ex-boyfriend in 1987 — also wants to see education programs in footy clubs teaching “young men about how they have to accept the rights of women”.

Mr Cleary said there is a “war on women” which required a policing overhaul.

“When we were confronted with supposed international terrorism our governments responded accordingly and introduced forms of policing that deal with that threat,” he said.

“We have a war on women across the world. It’s coming at a time when women are asserting their independence, and we have an underbelly of men who are outraged that women are not towing the line that they might have a couple of generations ago.

“They refuse to accept a woman’s right to leave a relationship.”

Phil Cleary has called on Anthony Albanese to apologise in the first step in a national plan to wipe out family violence. Picture: Martin Ollman

Mr Cleary — who has rallied for change since his sister’s death — said an apology from the Prime Minister should be the first step of a national plan to wipe out the scourge of family violence.

“I’m calling on the Prime Minister to immediately apologise to women for the failure of governments to stop this terror on women that continues to claim the life of women,” he said.

Mr Albanese and senior federal ministers will this weekend attend rallies against male violence.

On Sunday, thousands of people will attend rallies in Melbourne, Bendigo and Geelong calling for an end to gender based violence.

On Saturday, federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfuss ruled out a federal royal commission into domestic violence.

He said a “whole range of actions” had already been identified.

Vicki Cleary was stabbed to death by an ex-boyfriend in 1987.

One of they key steps of a national anti-violence plan envisioned by Mr Cleary is to establish a dedicated office for the safety of women in every municipal council in Australia.

The offices would be funded by the federal government and staffed by local councils and provide an open door service for women to seek refuge, air concerns and create an action plan.

While similar services like the Orange Door network and Safe Steps already operate in Victoria, Mr Cleary claimed they’re “too bureaucratised”.

“We need to make it easy for women to go to places to identify their fears and concerns. Don’t tell them they can just ring a 1300 number — that’s not good enough,” he said.

“These offices would work in collaboration with victims and the police to ensure that women could be safe.

“Everywhere you look there’s a woman killed by an ex-partner in circumstances where she told people and everyone knew she was in danger.”

Vicki Cleary was just 25 when she was attacked by her ex-boyfriend outside the kindergarten where she worked in Coburg.

Mr Cleary said since his beloved sister’s death 37-years-ago, the nation is in a “far better place” to address violence against women.

But it requires a wide-ranging national conversation, not just in homes, schools and workplaces but also at every sporting club.

“We need an education program that goes to the sporting clubs. We need to be in every football club talking to young men about how they have to accept the rights of women,” Mr Cleary said.

“Women’s sport is on the march everywhere — football, soccer, cricket. In the old male bastion games, women are everywhere. We have a great opportunity now.”

Originally published as Phil Cleary calls on Anthony Albanese to apologise for failing to stop attacks on women