Nearly three quarters of Australians believe the federal government is moving too slowly on domestic and family violence, according to new polling released as debate continues over Australia’s response to gender-based violence.

Polling commissioned by the Women and Girls’ Emergency Centre (WAGEC), conducted in July and September among more than 1,000 Australians, found strong concern about the pace of government action and support for increased funding for services.

The July polling found 71% of respondents believed the Labor government had responded either “much too slowly” or “somewhat too slowly” to domestic and family violence.

Just over a quarter of Australians, 27%, believed the federal government’s response to recent high-profile instances of gender-based violence had been adequate.

WAGEC chief executive Nicole Yade said the results showed Australians believed the pace of change did not match the scale of the crisis.

Yade said action should not be delayed until another woman or child was harmed, arguing that the recent headlines around violence had not been matched by a sufficient response.

The polling also found support for increasing funding for services responding to domestic and family violence.

The results come two years after the federal government declared domestic and family violence a national crisis and as governments continue to consider responses under Australia’s national plan to end violence against women and children.

The latest findings also follow the release of the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission’s 2026 Yearly Report to Parliament, which called for stronger action and earlier intervention. Australia By Aussie previously reported on Tanya Plibersek’s response to that report.

Source: The Guardian