Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson makes tackling domestic violence her top priority, first policy
After vowing to steer the party’s focus away from crime, new Liberal Party Leader Jess Wilson has left some colleagues shocked with her first policy announcement — to criminalise coercive control and tackle domestic violence.
New Opposition Leader Jess Wilson will move to criminalise coercive control as her first policy, in a bid to combat domestic violence.
In a move that has stunned some colleagues due to Ms Wilson’s vow to steer the party’s focus away from crime, the policy will be put to a special meeting of shadow cabinet on Thursday.
Coercive control – described as a pattern of controlling and manipulative behaviours – has emerged as a key issue after high-profile cases, including that of Queensland mum Hannah Clarke.
Ms Wilson is yet to announce her own shadow cabinet, meaning Thursday’s meeting will involve the team put together by former leader Brad Battin.
Mr Battin was toppled as leader last Tuesday after a delegation of MPs told him he had lost the support of his party room.
Chief among their concerns was Mr Battin’s fixed focus on crime.
Ms Wilson, who has been publicly critical of the party’s direction over the past year, said her campaign would centre on budget repair, ending the crime crisis, improving access to healthcare and expanding home ownership.
It is understood senior Liberals wanted the coercive control policy – which sources said had been in development for almost a year – approved ahead of the party’s standard Monday shadow cabinet meeting so its announcement could coincide with the annual Walk Against Family Violence on Friday.
It is expected the opposition would then try and introduce laws to criminalise coercive control to parliament next week.
The Allan government, and the Andrews government before it, have faced repeated calls to criminalise coercive control.
Existing legislation includes coercive behaviour in its definition of family violence, meaning it can currently constitute a criminal offence.
On Thursday, Premier Jacinta Allan left the door to criminalising coercive control, saying her government was looking at further reforms.
“There is always new work that needs to be done to keep women and children safe, and that is why we’ve already moved to have coercive control recognised as an insidious criminal behaviour, in response to family violence victims,” she said.
“But we’ll also continue to look at more ways to support women and children.”
The current reforms before the parliament would not make coercive control a stand alone criminal offence, which is what advocates are hoping for.
But advocates pushing for beefed-up powers say the laws don’t go far enough.
They included the parents of Queensland mum Hannah Clarke who was murdered alongside her children Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, 4, and Trey, 3, outside their home.
Ms Clarke and her young children were doused in petrol and the family car set alight in a deadly domestic violence attack by her estranged husband.
Her parents have lobbied the government to take action saying Victoria is the only state or territory that has no laws – or intention – to specifically address coercive control.
Laws currently before parliament would expand the definition of family violence.
Ms Wilson has hit the ground running since taking the helm of the party and on Tuesday proposed the establishment of a bipartisan debt commission.
While it was her first major move since becoming leader, she refused to commit to keeping the commission in operation under a Wilson-led government.
But she was widely praised inside Liberal Party ranks for setting the agenda with the proposal.
Some of that praise shifted late on Wednesday after details of the coercive control policy were leaked, with some colleagues critical of her fast return to crime as an issue.
Originally published as Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson makes tackling domestic violence her top priority, first policy
