00:02A lot of experts that we've spoken to, whether they're women's advocacy groups or those
00:06working in shelters or legal services, say that Senator Hanson has not perhaps understood
00:12the reality that faces a lot of victims of intimate partner abuse and violence.
00:17Now the reason that these comments were made was when Pauline Hanson was on 4BC radio and
00:22was asked what her message was to those who were perpetrating violence against their partners
00:26and families.
00:27Now, she said that this problem is a scourge for Australia and she also noted that she'd
00:32actually experienced this kind of violence before too.
00:34But the thing that's got people quite angry is where she said that it is a two-way street
00:39and urged women to leave violent partners behind.
00:43Here's a little bit of what she had to say.
00:45I just feel that if you're not in a house where you feel safe, you feel you don't want
00:53to be there, then you shouldn't put up with it.
00:57And if these women are getting abused by men out there, then don't put up with it.
01:05Pauline Hanson there, Senator for Queensland and Leader of One Nation.
01:08Now, as we were just discussing, these comments have attracted quite a bit of criticism, including
01:12from people like Michelle Pova.
01:14She is the CEO of Women and Children's First Shelter in Sydney, saying that this is an
01:19unrealistic understanding of the dangers that women face when they're fleeing an abusive
01:23relationship.
01:23And she also pointed out that when women leave, separation is one of the most dangerous times
01:29for them and their children.
01:30It's when we see a spike in the likelihood of things like homicide and serious violence.
01:35And she's also, Senator Hanson's also been criticised as well by women's legal services,
01:40echoing that point, that this is an incredibly dangerous time.
01:43And also across the political spectrum from Liberal MPs and Social Services Minister Labor's
01:48Tanya Plibersek, who said that these comments put the blame on women.
01:52We've also heard from Education Minister Jason Clare this morning.
01:55He's in Adelaide.
01:56Here's what he had to say.
01:58One in four Australian women are victims of domestic violence.
02:02You know, that's one in four women who are, who are violently attacked by people who tell
02:08them that they love them.
02:09You know, that's, that's not a two-way street.
02:11That's, that's a crime.
02:14Jason Clare there, the Education Minister.
02:16Now he's in Adelaide for Labor's national conference that's happening from today.
02:20We can expect on the policy side of this issue to be hearing quite a bit of discussion there
02:24about what the government plans to do about this problem.
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