Fatal Shooting in Floreat: Kate Chaney MP Urges Her Shocked Community to Support Each Other - 25 May 24

25/5/24

The shootings in Floreat yesterday have left my community devastated and shocked. Normally, it is a very safe and tight-knit community, and so many people have a connection either to the family or to the street. I'm absolutely heartbroken for the family who have lost their loved ones in this really violent way. I'm grateful to the police and first responders who responded very swiftly last night. Obviously, there's an investigation underway, and I won't speculate on the circumstances. We do know, though, that two more women have lost their lives because of a man with a gun. This is a reminder that violence against women happens in every community, even right here in our backyard. Enough is enough.

So many women that I've spoken to in my community last night and this morning are feeling exhausted and furious because more women are dying at the hands of men. Men have to stop killing women.

Any questions?

Reporter: Did you know the victims personally?

Kate Chaney MP: No, I didn't know them personally. I know plenty of people in the community who have connections with them. Obviously, they haven't been formally identified at this stage.

Reporter: Not to paint with too broad a brush, but Floreat is obviously a pretty affluent community. This isn't the kind of thing you expect in any community, but particularly here. Is this such a rare event for your community?

Kate Chaney MP: Well, I think this is a real reminder that violence against women happens in every community. We don't know the full circumstances yet, but I have plenty of women coming in and telling me their stories about experiencing violence. It's often hidden in more affluent communities, but it is definitely there.

Reporter: The response from the government—Zali Steggall has been really vocal around this. Do you back her calls for a more urgent crisis response?

Kate Chaney MP: I spoke to the Prime Minister this morning, and he sends his condolences to our community. I again reiterated to him that we need a sense of urgency on this issue. There are things that governments can do about violence against women. We don't know exactly what the circumstances are here, but it is also a whole community problem, and we all really need to play our part. We all need to think about what we turn a blind eye to and how we can be part of a solution.

Reporter: How did that call with the Prime Minister go? Did you ask for anything specific for your community or more broadly?

Kate Chaney MP: When I spoke to the Prime Minister, the full details were not yet public. There are still details to come out. He reiterated his commitment to addressing gender violence, and I reiterated my desire to see more support for frontline services, justice reform, and the long-term cultural change we need to see.

Reporter: What sort of contact have you been getting from people in your community, both about the shock of the incident and remembering these two women?

Kate Chaney MP: These two women have not yet been formally identified. Of course, the community WhatsApp groups are providing a lot of information and probably misinformation as well. Until that formal identification process happens, I won't comment on that. Certainly, there are a lot of people in this highly connected community who have really taken this hard and are connected in some way to the people involved.

Reporter: This kind of follows on from your question, but what is the community doing to pay tribute to these women?

Kate Chaney MP: Once these women have been formally identified, I'm sure there will be a response to commemorate them. I'll have a condolences book here in my office at the appropriate time so people can come in and send a message to the family of the victims.

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