THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
TURNBULL MUST RULE OUT DIRTY DEAL WITH HANSON ON FAMILY COURTS
News reports today that the Nationals are considering including Pauline Hanson's policies on family courts in their secret coalition deal with Malcolm Turnbull are deeply disturbing.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party wants to undo years of progress in equal treatment of women in the family court system and child custody battles to appease a disaffected minority in fact, she wants to abolish the family court system altogether and replace it with a Tribunal consisting of people from mainstream Australia.
In an apparent attempt to shore up their popularity, the Nationals are reportedly considering including elements of Ms Hanson's policy agenda in the deal they want to strike with Malcolm Turnbull in the 45th Parliament.
This is abhorrent, and yet it is not totally beyond the bounds of possibility. In 2006, John Howard made changes that prioritised equal parental relations over children's safety. And Attorney-General George Brandis has already gutted the community legal services which help women in need in domestic violence and family court cases, putting many services in jeopardy.
This is even more reason why Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce's secret deal on how the country will be run must be made public, so retrograde policies such as this cannot be included without the public being aware. These changes proposed by Ms Hanson could put women and children in danger and would throw our family court system into chaos.
Malcolm Turnbull and Barnaby Joyce must rule out adopting any element of Pauline Hanson's reforms to the family court. If they refuse, this is the worst possible indication of the path the coalition will take in appeasing Ms Hanson to prop up their unstable government.
WEDNESDAY, 13 JULY 2016
