Last Friday, the Australian Government advised American R&B artist Chris Brown that he would be denied a visa for his Australian tour.
In 2009, Brown was convicted of assaulting girlfriend, fellow R&B star Rihanna, after punching her in the mouth, putting her in a headlock and threatening to kill her. The ban came off the back of a campaign by advocacy group GetUp, who objected to the celebration of a man with such a record of violence against women.
It has stirred debate on a number of fronts. GetUp were criticised for focusing their anti-domestic violence, celebrity-targeted campaigns mostly on black entertainers. It has since retreated from its campaign, acknowledging the racial aspect.
And this week Brown, appealing the ban, argued that his mistakes from the past should not be held against him, but should serve as a lesson for others. 'I would be more than grateful to come to Australia to raise awareness on domestic violence,' he tweeted. 'I am not the pink elephant in the room anymore.'
Whatever we make of this, it is true that there plenty of other 'pink elephants in the room', that ought to be confronted as part of this conversation. Brown's mistakes, after all, are not just the domain of high-profile artists. They are prominently at issue in Australia at the current time, with one woman dying each week as a result of domestic violence, in most cases perpetrated by an intimate male partner.
Brown's advertised tour has placed domestic violence on the front pages. So has the Government's commitment of $100 million to combat and address the issue of domestic violence — a move in part prompted by the tragic story of Luke Batty, the murdered son of Australian of the Year Rosie Batty.
But is this enough? Not everyone is convinced.
Social commentator and Collective Shout women's advocate Melinda Tankard Reist worries that while $100 million dollars implies a commitment to ending domestic violence, it may not offset the cutbacks to service organisations that have been happening across the country.
'We know that women are turned away from shelters because of the demand,' she tells Eureka Street. 'I support the idea that a woman shouldn't have to flee, that she should be able to remain in her home. But, if she is in immediate danger, she may need to find somewhere very quickly.'
CEO of Domestic Violence Victoria Fiona McCormack, writing for The Drum, argued that the announced $100