He might rethink his decision to attend Sunday’s Canberra protest rally against the horrific and escalating toll of women violently killed in Australia at the hands of men.Albanese’s personal connection to matters of family violence has bubbled up since Sunday’s rally, detectable but kept in check, occasionally alluded to but not explained.
Albanese publicly revealed this part of his childhood in interviews with me for his biography, Albanese – Telling it Straight, published in 2016. He was extremely insistent that the references be oblique, both out of respect for his late mother, Maryanne, and because it is a painful memory.When Anthony was eight, Maryanne married a man named Jim. She took her husband’s surname and Anthony’s was also changed for the 10 weeks that the marriage lasted.
Barr asked if he could promise the nation’s leaders had a plan to stop women being killed by someone they know.Albanese acknowledged that governments and society needed to do more to help women. He mentioned housing and financial support. He said Australians – especially men and boys – needed to talk about these things and actively show support.As Albanese returned to Australia, momentum was building around rallies organised for the weekend by a group called What Were You Wearing.
As the march set off, Williams told the crowd that if they were there just to hear Albanese they could leave. He hadn’t agreed to the demands, so he wasn’t going to speak., Williams – a novice rally organiser whose efforts to galvanise the nation were remarkable – gave a lengthy and passionate address and shared her own heartbreaking story. She goaded Albanese and Gallagher, seated in the crowd, to endorse the five asks.
She turned and asked the crowd. An overwhelming chorus saw her hand him the mic, warning: “I’m not having any attacks towards myself or the organisation.”