Family violence is not a new issue, and there has been calls for stronger laws to protect victims of family violence both nationally, and in Tasmania, for years.
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Yet those calls have so far gone unanswered. While Tasmania was ahead of the game when it criminalised emotional abuse and intimidation, the state has failed to move forward on recommendations from a coroner in relation to non-fatal strangulation.
In 2019, Coroner Olivia McTaggart released her findings into the 2014 murder of Sorell woman Jodi Michelle Eaton.
Ms Eaton was strangled and killed, and at the time of her death, her murderer was on bail for choking his partner.
"I recommend that the Tasmanian government give consideration to the enactment of an indictable offence of choking, suffocation or strangulation applicable to both the domestic violence situation and generally," Ms McTaggart wrote.
After the findings were released, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute agreed, suggesting "a specific strangulation offence would clearly, accurately and effectively record such conduct".
Yet nearly two years later, and still no offence exists.
Attorney-General Elise Archer tasked the Sentencing Advisory Council with investigating sentencing for non-fatal strangulation, and analysing cases both interstate and in Tasmania where it has been considered a sentencing factor.
But Ms Archer said the body was not tasked with recommending a standalone offence, despite the coroner's recommendations, and was simply investigating options to strengthen the state's current laws.
While some steps have been taken, the report from the Sentencing Advisory Council was due in March.
As of this week, only a draft report had apparently been provided to the Attorney-General, and the state government could not provide any further information on the issue. So will the matter be prioritised as Ms Archer previously said it would be?
Or will it become nothing more than an election issue?
Yes the state government enters caretaker mode when an election is called, limiting their decision-making ability.
However, parties have a habit of taking longstanding problems, and turning them into election promises.
Yes, an election involves promises and policy announcements, but it should not take an election for these changes to be committed to.
Calls to strengthen laws, and provide better protection for victims of family violence should have been addressed when they were first raised, long before the election.
