Family law reform to stop pets being weaponised
Law reforms will stop family pets from being used to continue carrying out domestic violence when relationships break down.
The changes came into effect on Tuesday, and build on previous amendments made by the Albanese government to family law in its first term.
The new legislation provides a specific framework for deciding ownership of pets and preventing the use of animals to continue to perpetrate violence.
The reforms also give family law courts a new power to help stop sensitive information being viewed or used as evidence in proceedings where the harm in doing so outweighs the need for it.
The economic impacts impacts of family violence will be considered when property and finances are being divided between separated couples.
The government said the changes highlight Labor's strong commitment to addressing and ending the scourge.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia will be funded to expand their world-leading initiative called the Lighthouse model, which improves risk screening, triage and assessment of family law matters.
Information sharing arrangements to protect families against safety risks and the wellbeing of children being placed at the centre of all parenting decisions, were established under previous amendments made by Labor.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the changes strengthened deterrence while supporting fairer outcomes.
"These once-in-a-generation reforms aim to support victim-survivors of family violence to get a fairer outcome in family law matters and prevent long-term disadvantage," she said.
"The Albanese government thanks all those involved in the development and implementation of these vital reforms, particularly victim-survivors and family law professionals who shared their stories to inspire change."
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
Lifeline 13 11 14
Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Sky News AU
South Australia Police drops literacy and numeracy tests for new applicants
Liberal senator Alex Antic discusses South Australia Police's dropping of literacy and numeracy tests for new applicants. 'The first thing I'd say about this is, this actually really shows the crisis that we've got in amongst policing,' Mr Antic told Sky News host James Macpherson. 'This is just another one that this Labor government is struggling with and having problems with.'
Mercury
11 hours ago
- Mercury
Labor's plan for night-time economy zones
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News. A Salamanca bar manager has thrown his support behind Labor's plan for night-time economy zones saying they will create jobs and attract young people. Daniel Conway of The Pavilion said restrictions were costing the hospitality sector and venues' takings were down between 20 and 50 per cent on 12 months ago. 'We need to draw people back out, bring them back down to Salamanca and just create a massive culture and just an environment with something for them to do in a fun and safe environment,' he said. 'It is all about growth. Growth equals more jobs, more opportunities. 'It's everything from creating more businesses, pop-ups, entrepreneurship, everything that can make hospitality fun again. 'We should be leaders in tourism and hospitality.' Mr Conway said by having a night-time economy zone in Salamanca it would create activities for young people to enjoy and encourage talented musicians. Labor candidate for Franklin, Amelia Meyers, 19, said with the closure of the Uni Bar many young people were looking at other places to visit at night. 'A lot of us do end up drinking with our friends in the uni accommodation just because it's a bit cheaper and a bit easier, but also there hasn't been as much going on in town and especially in Salamanca,' Ms Meyers said. 'A lot of other states and territories have had a better nightlife than what Hobart has seen.' Labor leader Dean Winter is basing his night-time economy zones on NSW and said concerns of Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds 'can be overcome'. 'This is a business that had to battle to put TVs outside. This is an area where you still can't have a full band play outdoors despite it being Tasmania's biggest nightlife precinct,' he said. 'We need to have a state government that is going to drive change within local government so we can have a vibrant hospitality sector and a night time economy that's fun and safe. 'This strategy will help revitalise Tasmania's nightlife and contribute to my vision of making our state the easiest place in Australia to do business.' Mr Winter said his bold plan for a night life revival would start in Salamanca and be expanded to Launceston and Devonport. 'Salamanca's markets are iconic in the day time. I see an opportunity to make the precinct iconic in the night time too,' he said. 'What we've seen in our cities over the course of the last few years is businesses that have been curtailed by a red tape from local councils. 'We need to help young people see a future here, and make them want to stay. Our plan is for more housing, well-paid jobs and a night life that is thriving.' Labor also wants to modernise the 35-year-old Liquor Licensing Act and introduce a simplified, low-cost liquor licence for small businesses, pop-up events, and food trucks. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said he had been working with the Tasmanian Hospitality Association on a range of measures to free up red tape to support the hospitality industry.
Perth Now
21 hours ago
- Perth Now
How Trump's presence ... and absence haunted the PM
Almost every world leader is haunted by the spectre of Donald Trump's tariff regime and unfortunately, Anthony Albanese is no exception. Despite this week whistling through three countries in six days, Australia's touring prime minister seemingly couldn't escape the presence of his US counterpart, whether it was real or as the proverbial elephant in the room. Everywhere Mr Albanese set foot, the subject of Mr Trump and import taxes - not to mention the eventual cancellation of trade talks between the two men - seeped into every crevice of his itinerary. At home, a face-to-face meeting for the PM with the so-called leader of the free world had been keenly anticipated since it became apparent the unpredictability of his presidency helped propel Labor to a landslide federal election win in May. So, when Mr Albanese revealed he'd been invited to this month's G7 summit in Canada and that Mr Trump was attending, expectations they would finally meet naturally peaked. The discussion would have been their first in-person encounter and no doubt presented a prime opportunity to negotiate a coveted tariff exemption. Mr Albanese's first stop en route to Calgary was in Fiji, where a local marching band welcomed him with a rendition of the Australian anthem. Soon after touching down and with the aim of blending in, he slipped into a teal island shirt and met with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. "Visiting Fiji so soon after the election is a deliberate decision to reinforce my government's Pacific priorities," he'd insisted upon departing Australia. But in the scheme of things, the audience in Nadi was pretty much a diplomatic warm-up to Mr Albanese's centrepiece meeting. Despite standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr Rabuka, he was asked by journalists almost exclusively about whether Mr Trump posed a threat to AUKUS, Australia's nuclear submarine deal with the US and United Kingdom. The only other issue mentioned was the Iran-Israel conflict, a matter in which the Republican president also holds significant sway. Rinse and repeat as Mr Albanese flew on to Seattle. There, he and Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman unveiled a multi-billion-dollar investment in Australian data centres from the company's state-of-the-art headquarters, comprised of three gleaming glass spheres that house more than 40,000 plants. However the event was quickly overshadowed, with Mr Albanese 20 minutes later rushing to no less confirm his much mooted meeting with The Donald. Mr Trump at this point was dominating the backdrop of Albo's trip too, as millions of protesting Americans raging against the 47th president on his 79th birthday dominated world headlines. The No Kings rallies were staged nationwide including, of course, on the local streets leading to Seattle's iconic Space Needle, which transformed into a sea of colour and noise. In the wake of this drama, Mr Albanese settled into a series of diplomatic talks on the sidelines of the Calgary summit, nestled in the foothills of the formidable Canadian Rockies. Surely such a geographical barrier would offer sanctuary from Australia's domestic obsession with things Trump but not quite. True, Mr Albanese might reasonably have expected some handy insights on dealing with the everywhere American president during the first of these bilateral meetings, with local counterpart Mark Carney. Canada's prime minister had recently came to office vowing to stand up to the US and though Mr Carney had maintained this stance in multiple subsequent meetings with Mr Trump, their discussions had generally been well received. Rather than keep this topic in-house during his own chat with Mr Carney, however, the subject of diplomacy between allies proceeded to spill into the public arena in a way that must have been impossible for Mr Albanese to ignore. Especially when the subject of bilateral trade and then certain trilateral submarine agreements was canvassed during a joint press conference at the summit between Mr Trump and Sir Keir Starmer. "It's a really important deal to both of us," the British PM declared, referring to AUKUS. "We're very long-time partners and allies and friends, and we've become friends in a short period of time," Mr Trump said. "He's slightly more liberal than I am ... but for some reason, we get along." Offering a final word, Mr Starmer added: "We make it work." And so it was that Australia's diplomatic affairs managed to capture international attention even in Mr Albanese's absence. Beyond his talks with Mr Carney, Australia's prime minister meanwhile tried hard to keep things on topic himself but the ghost of Mr Trump refused to stay away. With 24 hours to go until their scheduled sit down, the president suddenly announced his early departure from G7 so he could rush home to handle the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Mr Albanese promptly said this was "understandable" and with another four rounds of talks to go among other diplomatic events on his own agenda, the show would go on regardless of Mr Trump's emergency exit. But even in his absence, the US president remained. Many leaders, including Mr Albanese, found themselves continuing to reference the importance of the agenda which had solely been of Mr Trump's making: free and fair trade. Days after the summit wrapped up, little seemed to have changed either. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had talks scheduled with Mr Trump the day after he left. However the two men had already previously faced Mr Trump, while Ms Sheinbaum received a phone call from him post his departure. Mr Albanese returned to Australia on Thursday without having spoken to the main man. He might have had another shot at the end of June, as he was considering attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in the Netherlands, but Mr Trump could just as easily make an early exit there too. Australia's exports to the US meanwhile continue to be hit with a baseline 10 per cent tariff and its steel and aluminium products incur a 50 per cent levy.
