Domestic violence Qld: Agriculture Minister Mark Furner tells how daughter was subjected to coercive control

A Queensland MP whose daughter was subjected to suffocating coercive control by her partner is calling for men to “stand up and take action”.

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A Queensland government cabinet minister has revealed the personal heartbreak behind his crusade against domestic violence, as he called for more men to “stand up” against the scourge.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner has been a longstanding advocate for the cause, and had raised tens of thousands of dollars over the years for domestic violence shelters.

But it was witnessing his own daughter being subjected to coercive control that has largely driven him to speak out against the horrific act – and encourage other men to do the same.

In an at times emotional interview, the man know as the “farmer’s friend” in the agriculture sector laid bare the distress at watching his daughter Sally harassed by her former partner, and the toll it took on her.

“She was just worn down by him,” Mr Furner said.

“She was harassed by him.

“He would tell her where she could go, what to wear, wanting to read all her messages on her phone and they would fight, and she started self-harming.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner with daughter Sally.

“Initially, I took the father approach – I approached him, told him to get out, and she resisted that. It was Stockholm syndrome.

“In the end, I knew I had to be there, and wait for her to come to me. And she did.”

Mr Furner personally runs a charity fundraiser for domestic violence organisations every year. This year’s, a charity raffle for the Save the Children domestic and family violence refuge, has already raised more than $10,000, and will be drawn on Friday at parliament.

His union work was also an eye-opener into sexual harassment perpetuated by men in the workplace – and he witnessed first-hand how crucial it was for male workers to stand side by side with their female colleagues to call out unacceptable behaviour.

“Men are the main perpetrators of domestic and family violence,” Mr Furner said.

“So if you don’t have men standing up and speaking out against it, then there will be some who thinks it’s OK.”

Mr Furner also broke his silence on a headline-making incident in parliament this year.

In October, Mr Furner found himself accused of making a misogynistic comment, after calling the LNP’s Ros Bates a “dopey, stupid woman” during a heated debate in parliament.

He “apologised unreservedly” and withdrew the comment, but there were calls from the opposition for more action to be taken against him.

Agriculture Minister Mark Furner.

The incident left him deeply embarrassed, he says, while adding calls for him to be stripped of his White Ribbon ambassadorship hurt.

Those calls were incorrect regardless – White Ribbon stopped its ambassadorship program in 2020, though Mr Furner still proudly wears his badge in support of the organisation.

“And I wear it because of the belief I have in eliminating violence against women and their families,” he said.

The Agriculture Minister is one of the rare parliamentarians to serve in both federal and state parliament, with six years in the senate preceding his time as the Ferny Grove member.

His election in the 2015 state election clinched victory for Labor and was the final seat to be declared, installing a new government and a new Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk.

He credits his win with the 9000 homes he personally doorknocked in the lead-up.

And for the record, Mr Furner has every intention of going around again at the next election in less than two years time.

The LNP’s Ros Bates, whom Mark Furner called a “dopey, silly woman” during a debate in parliament. Mr Furner “apologised unreservedly” and withdrew the comment. Picture: Liam Kidston.

But asked what he would like the legacy from his time in politics to be when he does hang up his hat, it is leaving it better for those on the land which is front of mind.

“I want to leave it a better place for our farmers,” he said.

“I think at times people don’t value the work that farmers do.

“They are the salt of the earth. They just go that extra mile.

“I hope that people would understand the importance of Queensland produce greater, where the food comes from where and how hard they work.

“The isolation in many circumstances, the tyranny of distance between where they go to work, where their children go to school, those sorts of things.

“So if there could be a better appreciation and better understanding.

“I think if we could get to a place where everyone had that understanding, and supported Queensland projects, well, that would be one step I’d like to see as a legacy.”