Coercive control
The ACT Government has launched a public awareness campaign to help the community recognise coercive control (abusive behaviour that controls and dominates victims), following a Canberra Liberals motion earlier this year to legislate on the offence.
“Coercive control is often a precursor to intimate partner homicide, and yet many Canberrans don’t know what it is or how to identify whether there are victims,” Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, minister for the prevention of family and domestic violence, said. “This campaign is critical to ensure that members of the community know the signs and who to contact if they are a victim of coercive control.”
Coercive control, a dangerous and hidden form of family and domestic violence, was present in nearly a dozen domestic and family violence homicides between 2000 and 2022 that a review investigated. Signs of coercive control include controlling someone’s choices, financial control, isolation, monitoring, and threats — all intended to control and reduce autonomy.
Canberra Liberals leader Leanne Castley MLA welcomed the campaign, but doubted whether the government would indeed legislate the offence.
Her motion had proposed legislation similar to NSW’s to review domestic violence laws, and to improve support and resources for victims. The government had modified the motion to review national laws, then introduce its own legislation; to consult advocates on how best to respond to coercive control; to implement a 10-year Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Strategy later this year; and to improve frontline services and the police’s ability to deal with the problem.
“An awareness campaign is the first step but it’s not enough,” Ms Castley said. “We must have legislation that allows police officers and the courts to intervene and deal with this problem properly. Without legislation, it’s nothing more than window dressing, and we know that coercive control legislation has the support of many stakeholders, including the Australian Federal Police Association. I just hope that ACT Labor don’t go week in the knees and think that a campaign is enough to prevent coercive control and domestic violence.”
ACT Youth Assembly
The ACT Youth Assembly will be held annually rather than every two years. The event, which took place today, brings together 12- to 25-year-old Canberrans to discuss complex issues and propose solutions.
Making the conference yearly will give young people, “the future leaders of the ACT”, more opportunities “to develop innovative, transformative ideas in response to big picture issues”, said Michael Pettersson MLA, minister for children, youth and families.
This year’s Youth Assembly focused on education, health and housing.
