Roundup: Australian PM renews push to tackle "national disgrace" of domestic violence

Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called domestic violence against women a " national disgrace," and outlined a 70-million-U.S. dollar package to combat the problem on Thursday.

The funding will go to ensuring better training for frontline domestic-violence officers and the provision of 20,000 mobile phones for at-risk women needing help.

Turnbull said 63 women had already lost their lives this year at the hands of an abusive partner or family member.

"Violence against women is one of the great shames of Australia. It is a national disgrace," he told reporters in Melbourne.

Turnbull said violence against women was intolerable, and he wanted Australia to become known as a nation that respects women.

"Disrespecting women does not always result in violence against women," he said. "But all violence against women begins with disrespecting women."

Turnbull's sharpened focus on domestic violence follows on- going policy adjustment after he deposed former Prime Minister Tony Abbott in a leadership spill earlier this month.

The new premier has made the issue an immediate priority over changes to taxation and higher education, believing it had been " overlooked for too long".

"We have to make it as though it was un-Australian to disrespect women," Turnbull said. "Let's make it our resolution that Australia will be known as a nation, as a people, as a society that respects women."

According to the prime minister, citing research, one in four men think its acceptable to hit their spouse when they are drunk.

Following Turnbull's announcement, Australia's Attorney-General George Brandis issued a statement, in which he pledged 10.5 million U.S. dollars to enable those women experiencing domestic violence to access vital legal advice.

"Every woman in Australia has the right to feel safe and to live without fear the rates of violence against women in this country are unacceptable and demand action," Brandis said. "This funding is part of the Australian government's 100-million- Australian dollar (70-million-U.S. dollar) package to respond to family and domestic violence by enhancing women's safety."

He said the government would focus on practical initiatives to protect women's safety (41 million U.S dollars), improved front- line support (25 million U.S dollars) and online resources development (4 million U.S dollars). Endi