Commission welcomes unanimous support of Domestic Violence Victims Protection Bill
8 March 2017: The Human Rights Commission has welcomed news that a Members Bill seeking to improve legal protections for
victims of domestic violence will get the consultation it deserves, after passing it’s first reading.
Green MP Jan Logie’s Domestic Violence Victims Protection Bill, which seeks to create a system where businesses can
better support victims of family violence, was unanimously supported in Parliament and will now go through the Select
Committee public submission process.
Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Jackie Blue says this is a fantastic step for an important piece of
proposed legislation.
“It is not often that a members’ bill gets the support of all parties at first reading. I am truly proud of Parliament’s
unanimous acknowledgement that the public, along with business, should have their say on this very important bill,” Dr
Blue says.
“Allowing the bill to advance through to Select Committee will mean a robust and thoughtful conversation can take place
about the bill’s merits and where adjustments can be made to ensure it is workable for all kiwi businesses – big or
small.
“Workplaces have a huge role to play in addressing this issue and there are already a number of businesses who have put
active family violence policies in place to do that. This bill has the potential to enable all New Zealand workplaces to
offer their staff this much-needed support.
“The Commission looks forward to making a submission in due course and being part of crafting this important piece of
legislation,” Dr Blue says.
The Human Rights Commission has recently released a video asking businesses to implement their own family violence
policy. This can be viewed here: www.hrc.co.nz/familyviolencepolicy
ends