Today Abigail secured unanimous support for our Greens motion recognising the need to criminalise coercive control.
Ms ABIGAIL BOYD (10:03): I move:
That this House notes that the following Greens-initiated Local Government NSW 2020 Conference motion was carried by the Board of Local Government NSW on 11 December 2020:
"That Local Government NSW:
1.Notes the alarming increase in the prevalence of domestic abuse in New South Wales, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the devastating impact this has on individuals and communities.
2.Recognises that coercive control is a form of domestic abuse but that it is not currently a criminal offence under New South Wales law.
3.Contacts the NSW Premier and NSW Attorney General calling for the criminalisation of coercive control in New South Wales, in line with The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act, currently considered the best-practice example of criminalising psychological, emotional and financial abuse as forms of domestic abuse."
(2)That this House commend the Local Government NSW 2020 conference motion concerning domestic violence to the Premier, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian,, MP and the Attorney General, the Hon. Mark Speakman, MP.
Motion agreed to.