1637. Hon Alison Xamon to the Leader of the House representing the Attorney General:
I refer to the recent passage of legislation in Victoria to address dowry-related abuse, and I ask:
(a) has any consideration been given to expanding Western Australia’s family violence legislation to address dowry-related abuse;
(b) if yes to (a), please provide information about any proposed amendments, including relevant timeframes; and
(c) if no to (a), why not?
Hon Sue Ellery replied:
(a) There has some been consideration to expanding Western Australia’s family violence legislation to address dowry-related abuse however there is little information available regarding the extent of such abuse.
In response to the limited information available, on 26 June 2018, the Senate referred the practice of dowry and the incidence of dowry abuse to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Reference Committee. The Committee will investigate: the extent and nature of such abuse; its relationship to family violence; the adequacy of the family law system; and the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) in acknowledging such abuse.
The Committee will make specific recommendations regarding legislative change that the Government will consider.
(b)–(c) The Committee is due to report on 6 December 2018. Accordingly, the content and recommendations from this report will need be considered to determine if and what amendments are required. There is currently no amendments proposed.