A Queensland domestic violence victim was promised a voice – then told she was no longer welcome to call the minister’s office
Guardian AU
•Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:00:24 GMT
📰 What Happened
Guardian Australia reports that a woman with lived experience of domestic violence who served on Queensland's hand-picked domestic violence working group was told by the minister's chief of staff that she was no longer welcome to call the minister's office, and that further calls would be met with the phone being hung up. The woman, who had been seeking a private meeting with minister Amanda Camm, was one of several working group members who felt silenced. Guardian Australia has previously reported that the government buried the group's summary report and recommendations after members were heavily critical of police responses.
🔍 The Backstory
Queensland minister Amanda Camm established the domestic violence working group promising to 'give victims a voice', bringing in victim-survivors with lived experience alongside other members. The group produced an official report critical of police handling of domestic violence cases and calling for significant reforms, which members say has been buried by the government. Domestic and family violence has been a high-profile policy issue in Queensland in recent years, with the state government under pressure over its response.
🎯 Why It Matters
The case raises serious questions about whether the Queensland government is genuinely listening to survivors' voices or using consultation as a box-ticking exercise. If survivors who were critical of police are being silenced and their recommendations buried, it undermines public confidence in the state's domestic violence reform process and suggests systemic failures in how the government handles difficult expert advice.
Guardian Australia reports that a woman with lived experience of domestic violence who served on Queensland's hand-picked domestic violence working group was told by the minister's chief of staff that she was no longer welcome to call the minister's office, and that further calls would be met with the phone being hung up. The woman, who had been seeking a private meeting with minister Amanda Camm, was one of several working group members who felt silenced. Guardian Australia has previously reported that the government buried the group's summary report and recommendations after members were heavily critical of police responses.
Queensland minister Amanda Camm established the domestic violence working group promising to 'give victims a voice', bringing in victim-survivors with lived experience alongside other members. The group produced an official report critical of police handling of domestic violence cases and calling for significant reforms, which members say has been buried by the government. Domestic and family violence has been a high-profile policy issue in Queensland in recent years, with the state government under pressure over its response.
The case raises serious questions about whether the Queensland government is genuinely listening to survivors' voices or using consultation as a box-ticking exercise. If survivors who were critical of police are being silenced and their recommendations buried, it undermines public confidence in the state's domestic violence reform process and suggests systemic failures in how the government handles difficult expert advice.