E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC RADIO NATIONAL BREAKFAST
THURSDAY, 27 AUGUST 2026
Topics: NEPAL FLASH FLOODS; FAMILY, DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE
SALLY SARA: Right now, my guest is Tanya Plibersek, the Minister for Social Services. Minister, welcome back to Breakfast.
TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Good morning.
SARA: Before we talk about these developments from National Cabinet, how concerned is the Federal Government about the situation with flooding along the border, this flash flooding between Nepal and Tibet? And is there any information about the number of Australians who may have been affected?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, of course we're very concerned. The images are very disturbing indeed. We do know that there are Australians in the area, we don't know exactly how many. If people are concerned about family members or people they might be worried about over there, they can ring 1300 555 135, 1300 555 135 for more information. What we're doing is urging any Australians who are caught up over there to follow the instructions of local authorities.
SARA: And is Australia going to be offering any assistance or, too early to say at this stage?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I don't have any information about that at this stage.
SARA: And we'll be speaking with the Charge d' affaires from the Nepalese embassy after 8 this morning to get some more information. Minister, National Cabinet agreed yesterday to a new National Family and Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Framework. What sort of measures do you expect that states and territories will start putting in place? What changes will we actually see?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well the National Risk Assessment Framework was just one of the items that the National Cabinet agreed to yesterday to progress our work on family, domestic and sexual violence. But it is a very important next step. Essentially, what we're saying is that you should be able to expect anywhere you are in Australia, the same response. If you walk into a police station or a hospital or a GP surgery, that those people are trained in the same way to identify your risk of family or domestic violence, to support you or refer you as is appropriate. That doesn't, it doesn't sound important, it sounds like it, you know, it's another system thing. But just think about this, Sally. If we have frontline people who don't identify the risk of family or domestic violence from the person who's standing in front of them, then they can't keep them safe. So, what we're saying is that right across Australia we need people who are better trained to identify the risk that the person's in and to keep them safe.
SARA: Is this agreement enforceable? What will ensure that states and territories actually follow through with action?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, it is up to states and territories. They are responsible for police, refuges, even schools where a lot of the work of family, domestic and sexual violence has to take place. So, having the Premiers and First Ministers yesterday agree to a number of really urgent items I think is really important. It shows that First Ministers and the Prime Minister take this very seriously. So, as well as the National Risk Assessment Framework, which is a big step forward, yesterday the National Cabinet agreed to the areas of focus that are ongoing, like improving support for victim survivors to leave violence sooner and safely recover. Intervening earlier, so, using our big systems like health and education, community services to identify family, domestic and sexual violence and interventions earlier. Improving supports for children and young people who've experienced violence. Kids tell us all the time that they are not witnessing domestic violence, they're experiencing it in the family home. We've agreed also to really strengthen efforts to respond to rising rates of sexual violence. We know that in some areas we're seeing good progress because of the hard work of people on the front line. We're seeing some positive trends in the area of family and domestic violence. But sexual violence, particularly amongst under 18s, is just exploding. Online harms is another area that the leaders have agreed to work together on and better holding perpetrators to account. I mean, the average bloke who hurts a woman goes on to hurt six more women. So, even if a woman can safely leave a violent relationship, we need to hold perpetrators to account to stop them using violence. Like having leaders that agree that these are the areas for work are really important. And then there's practical next steps, like progressing alcohol reform. South Australia and the ACT have started that work, but other states and territories have agreed that we need to do more on things like home delivery of alcohol in the middle of the night that we know can exacerbate situations of violence.
SARA: Minister, you were talking about a number of specific issues there, but particularly concerns around young people. We know that New South Wales police are investigating the death of a 16 year old Sydney girl as a possible sexual choking act. How much concern is there, more broadly, about the significant percentage of young people who we understand are engaging in this practise?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I'm really, extremely worried about this, Sally. I'm sure I've said it to you in the past, that almost 60% of young people report that they've experienced choking in a recent sexual encounter. So, I can't say anything obviously about this tragic situation in New South Wales, but in general terms, figures like that just concern me so deeply. There is no safe way of choking someone. Parents have to use this opportunity to talk to their young people about this practise. It's being driven by pornography. About 60% of young people say they've seen it in pornography and then another 30% say either friends or social media, they've seen discussion and promotion of this practise. It is not safe and we need to use every opportunity of saying this to young people. It's way too common. It can cause death immediately, it can cause death weeks down the track through blood clots, it can cause dementia years and years after the practise has been used. It is not safe. So, I'm pleading with parents and schools today to use every opportunity to have really direct conversations with young people. Kids are getting their sex education from pornography before they've had their first kiss. Now, our under 16 social media ban will help a bit with this. Age verification for pornography, which we've also introduced, will help a bit with this. But kids are spectacularly good at getting around these rules. The antidote we need are real world conversations that are explicit and direct with adults that they trust in their lives.
SARA: Yeah, Minister. Particularly those issues, the numbers around choking. Yeah, it's hard to take in those statistics. Thank you very much for joining me this morning.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Thank you, Sally. Bye.
ENDS
