Prime Minister to confront premiers on violence funding amid urgent reform calls

The Australian government is being urged to expand anonymous reporting for victims of sexual violence and invest in employment and housing support for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Anthony Albanese is expected to raise progress on issues of domestic and family violence when he convenes a meeting of national cabinet on Wednesday.

It comes as Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek continues consultation on the second five-year phase of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.

Addressing parliament last week, Mr Albanese said state and territory governments had “primary responsibility” for many services and accused some jurisdictions of “tragically” using commonwealth funding as an excuse to “withdraw” state funding.

“I will raise that very directly with the premiers,” Mr Albanese said.

“This is something that’s not a party political issue; this is a human issue, and, particularly, an issue affecting women and children.

“All of us, of course, have a responsibility as well. Not just members of parliament but, in particular, men have a responsibility to engage with our fellow men on these issues.”

The second five-year action plans comes amid heightened attention around issues of digital abuse, including AI-powered so-called nudify applications, as well as several high-profile scandals involving elite Sydney schools and the Sydney Swans AFL club.

Australia was also rocked in July by a spate of alleged femicides, including the deaths of two teen girls in Victoria and the Northern Territory and a young mum in Queensland.

Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos urged the government to look at “structural issues” when formulating its next approach to domestic violence, including progenitors of abuse such as “early and frequent access to pornographic content” and “predatory algorithms that are radicalising young boys and men online”.

“Then, I think we need to also look at factors ignored because there’s big lobbies in the way, including gambling reform and alcohol,” Ms Contos told NewsWire.

“We know that when there’s big sporting matches rates of violence instantly go up against women and children.

“These factors are hard to touch because they are embedded in our culture, but we need to be investigating them as well.”

Ms Contos said the federal government needed to also probe “accountability measures” for perpetrators of domestic violence and to expand nationwide a victim support system already in place in NSW.