Time is of the essence : progress on the National Council's plan for Australia to reduce violence against women and their children

In May 2008, the Australian Government established the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children to develop a national plan of action. The result, “Time for Action: The National Council's Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2009-2021”, was presented to the Prime Minister of Australia in April 2009. The National Council’s plan was met with a commitment from the Prime Minister to immediately implement 11 of 20 actions identified by the National Council as requiring priority action and to work with state and territory governments, through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), to endorse a national plan of action by 2010. This article explains the theoretical underpinnings and the research processes adopted by the members of the National Council in the creation of “Time for Action” and, with the emphasis on aspects of “Time for Action” that deal with law and justice issues, it examines the progress to date on the implementation of the commitments made by the Prime Minister in April 2009. While the Australian Government has made good progress on actions that fall within its jurisdiction, the commitment to deliver a COAG endorsed plan had not been met at the time the article went to print.