Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus says men need to 'step up' in domestic violence crisis
The nation's chief lawmaker has asked men to step up to stop women dying every week in a "crisis of male violence".
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, in an address at a family violence symposium in Melbourne, said that one death of a woman at the hands of a man is one too many but one death a week is an epidemic, and it "must end".
In the past week, the country has mourned the death of those who died in the Bondi Junction attacks including five women who NSW top cop Karen Webb said were "obviously" targeted for their gender.
Mr Dreyfus's words also come as the Ballarat community mourns three local women who died in two months.
According to Counting Dead Women, 24 women have died this year at the hands of a male. That is 10 more women who have died compared to the same time last year.
The federal government has been working on the National Plan to End Domestic Violence but has received some criticism over its implementation.
Mr Dreyfus said there needs to be a "fundamental shift in acknowledgement that" overwhelmingly, violence against women in Australia is perpetrated by men.
"We have a crisis of male violence in Australia," he said.
"It is a scourge in our society and it must end."
Questions of attacks on women as terrorism
Australia's spy boss was asked this week why Monday night's church stabbing was ruled a terrorist attack, while Saturday's stabbing rampage — where one man and five women were killed in Bondi Junction — was not.
"Simple answer is, to call it a terrorist act you need indications of, well, information or evidence that suggest actually the motivation was religiously motivated or ideologically motivated," Mike Burgess told reporters.
"In the case of Saturday, that was not the case."
Mr Dreyfus was asked on Friday morning if he believed the Bondi attacks should be classed as terrorism.
He said Australians could talk about violence against women without "blurring lines" into something else.
"We've got a crisis of male violence in Australia … we know it must end and I think it's really clear women can't be expected to solve violence against women alone," he told the ABC.
But, he said he did not think "debating definitions" was "the way to go".
The attorney-general said it wouldn't be right for him to speculate, or comment, on the motive of the Bondi attacker, as investigations were ongoing and he is deceased.
Deakin University terrorism expert Greg Barton said an important distinction of the Bondi Junction attacker that doesn't fit the terrorist profile was that he didn't believe he was using violence to bring about change.
Professor Barton said that while not designating the Bondi attacks as terrorism leaves questions over resources that would be afforded to counterterrorism investigations, it suggested Australia needs more resourcing to understand male violence.
'It's time for men to step up', Dreyfus says
Last month, three independent MPs called on the government to do more to stop gendered violence, including Zali Steggall who asked the government to review the National Plan.
Ms Steggall also asked it to commission a review of all state criminal justice systems' handling of domestic violence. There is currently a federal inquiry into the country's judicial responses to sexual violence, but nothing for domestic violence.
The prime minister, in March, used a speech at an International Women's Day breakfast to also call on men to do more to stop the deaths of women.
"While women are shaping these policies and driving these responses, ending this epidemic of violence has to involve men stepping up," he said.
The attorney-general said that to create lasting change, women cannot be expected to solve violence against them alone.
"It's time for men to step up," he said.
Domestic violence experts are often survivors themselves and are predominantly women. The attorney-general will give his address in front of some of the country's most prolific advocates, including Rosie Batty.
He said the symposium is an opportunity to "reflect on our progress, consider lessons learnt, and work together to end violence against women", "Enough is enough," he said.
The attorney-general looked forward to creating a "society where women and children can finally live free from violence".