‘Absolute dream’: candidate’s hope for sex abuse reform
Zac de Silva |
Laws protecting survivors of child sexual abuse should be standardised across Australia, a candidate in a critical federal by-election says.
Independent Michelle Milthorpe hopes to win the NSW seat of Farrer on her second attempt, in a by-election triggered by former Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s resignation from parliament.
Before her tilt at politics, Ms Milthorpe campaigned successfully alongside her two daughters to allow victims of child abuse to give prerecorded evidence in court, rather than potentially having to face their abuser when giving live testimony.
The change was made in NSW, but the now-independent candidate wants the laws introduced nationwide.
“That would be the absolute dream,” she told AAP.
Ms Milthorpe said her main campaign priorities were access to housing, healthcare and childcare across the regional electorate – which is larger than some small European countries.
But improving support for victim survivors was a “passion”.
“If there was an opportunity for me to be a voice in that space, I would certainly take that opportunity on,” she said.
Ms Milthorpe’s daughters, Pippa and Rose, were both aged under 10 when were abused by a family friend.
The family spent years going through the courts, a process which Pippa has previously described as confusing and challenging.
Despite being loosely affiliated with teal independent MPs, Ms Milthorpe has broken with them on water policy – a controversial issue in Farrer, which includes towns along the Murray River from Albury to the South Australian border.
The federal government has long sought to buy water back from farmers, who use it for irrigation, and instead return the water to the river for environmental reasons.
This practice is fiercely opposed by many agricultural groups, who argue the water is needed for growing crops.
Ms Milthorpe declared buybacks “need to stop” and called for an independent review of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which governs the catchment across four states.
“It’s a disgrace that we have people that need the water, who don’t own the water,” she said.
The independent candidate, whose platform includes a focus on the environment, said it was possible to protect natural sites while also protecting food security.
Ms Milthorpe ran against Ms Ley in the 2025 federal election, narrowing the Liberal margin to 6.2 per cent.
The independent candidate has started her campaign with a $60,000 war chest from the Regional Voices Fund – an organisation which aims to get more independents elected.
She is expected to be one of four key contenders when the by-election is called.
The Liberals, Nationals and One Nation are all planning to run but are yet to announce candidates.
The Liberals or Nationals have held the seat since its inception in 1949.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
AAP