In response to the Prime Minister’s comments that a Royal Commission may not be the best use of public resources, we acknowledge the urgency of continued investment in frontline services and practical supports. At Allied Justice we believe, this is not an either/or question. Communities deserve both immediate action and serious national scrutiny of the systemic conditions that continue to place women and children at risk. A Royal Commission should be considered as one possible mechanism for truth-telling, accountability and reform, particularly if it can help expose persistent gaps between policy, service systems and lived reality.
At Allied Justice, we see every day that violence against women and children is not only a national crisis, but a profound access to justice issue. Across our regional and rural communities in Central Highlands and the Wimmera, women and children need timely safety, legal support, housing, counselling and prevention responses that are coordinated, trauma-informed and accessible close to home. These services must be properly funded and strengthened, but investment alone is not enough if the systems around women and children continue to leave them without safety, choice and justice.
In Ballarat and across the Grampians region, the impacts of family violence are felt not only by victim-survivors and families, but by the legal, justice, and health service sectors who work together hand in hand every day to respond to complex and ongoing harm. We know that meaningful change requires more than statements of intent. It requires systems that listen to lived experience, respond earlier, work together effectively and remain accountable when it fails.
Women and children have the right to live free from violence. Our systems must be designed with that core principle in mind.
If a Royal Commission can help drive deeper accountability, amplify the voices of those most affected, and lead to reform that improves safety and access to justice, then it should be genuinely considered. As the highest form of public inquiry in Australia, a Royal Commission can help uncover systemic failures, hold institutions accountable, and drive long-term policy and legislative change. Public confidence depends on knowing these processes are designed to deliver meaningful reform—not simply symbolic responses or narrow investment debates.
Women and children cannot wait for change that is partial or delayed. We must be prepared to use every available lever to prevent violence, strengthen responses and build systems that people can trust.
This is a moment for leadership grounded in courage, accountability and a genuine commitment to changing life stories through better access to justice.
