After three years of minority rule by a centre-left Labor government marked by infighting, Australians have elected a conservative Liberal-National party coalition led by Tony Abbott by a big majority in the House of Representatives. Barring political disasters, it seems assured of at least two terms of government, normally six years.
The World Health Organisation has a clinical interest in the issue of violence against women. That's because the matter is linked to a higher-than-average incidence of a range of acute and chronic problems, such as depression and other mental illness, stress- and alcohol-related disorders, pregnancy complications and sexually transmitted disease. But it is not a simple matter to raise the profile of violence as a global women's health issue. Much of the violence is inflicted by partners, and cultural resistance to intervention in domestic affairs continues to be an obstacle. Hong Kong is no exception.
