Rotary was grateful on Saturday 14 September 2024 to have the Hon Reggie Martin MLC walk with us, but also the Attorney-General for South Australia, the Hon Kyam Maher MLC, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, who not only walked with the public from Victoria Square to Elder Park, but addressed the crowd gathered around the Elder Park Rotunda.
Following this, in Parliament on Wednesday 25 September, the Hon Reggie Martin MLC put forward the following question to the Legislative Council chamber. Our extended team within Rotary District 9510 are delighted to be recognised for the enormous amount of effort not only that our Rotarian members invest toward reducing Domestic Violence locally, but for the recognition of the many DV Support Groups who partner with Rotary, and walked in solidarity, peacefully, with us on the day.
WALK FOR RESPECT
The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (15:11): My question is to the Attorney-General. Will the Attorney-General please inform the council about the recent Walk for Respect event held by Rotary?
The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:11):
That is a good question, and I would be more than happy to answer the question about the recent Walk for Respect event held by Rotary. It was a great pleasure to join with many colleagues, a multiparty representation, at the event. There were a large number from this place and from the other place at the Walk for Respect, hosted by Rotary International as part of their Rotary Says No to Domestic Violence campaign.
Rotary District 9510 joined together with other Rotary districts in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands for an Adelaide-based Walk for Respect to raise awareness of the scourge of domestic violence in our community. With 25 Rotary clubs and 24 domestic violence support groups and other organisations represented in the march, there was a significant turnout as we gathered on Saturday morning in Victoria Square to march in honour of stamping out domestic and family violence in our community and promoting healthy relationships.
I walked alongside many colleagues from this chamber and the other, including the Hon. Katrine Hildyard, the Hon. Nat Cook, the Hon. Mira El Dannawi, the Hon. Robert Simms, the Hon. Connie Bonaros, the Hon. Michelle Lensink, the Hon. Tammy Franks, the Hon. Jing Lee, Cressida O'Hanlon MP and Nadia Clancy MP as well as many others. Many peak domestic violence services were also represented, and there were many educative posters displayed about signs of domestic violence, particularly drawing awareness to coercive control, which was an education focus for Rotary this year.
There were in excess of 20 different signs, each indicating different coercive controlling behaviours, such as limiting your access to money or controlling the clothes that you wear. It was pleasing to see this important public education piece in tandem with the government having introduced legislation to criminalise coercive control. I thank Rotary for their proactive leadership around this campaign.
As a group, we walked from Victoria Square down King William Street to Elder Park, where there was a Rotary barbecue, sizzling sausages for a good cause. We heard from several speakers at the rotunda. After hearing from the Rotary District Governor, Ms Marie-Louise Lees, I was able to say a few words. We heard from other speakers, including the Deputy CEO of Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation Services, Ms Louise Kelly; the General Manager of Embolden, Mary Leaker; and Jenni Foreman from the Zonta women's foundation.
I would like to thank Rotary past district governor Craig Dowling for initiating this event, all the organisations that do such important work protecting women who experience domestic violence and the Rotary Says No to Domestic Violence committee for organising the walk. Education is a tremendously important tool for us as a society in ending domestic and family violence, and I thank everyone who participated and raised awareness for such an important issue.
