A federal government backbencher has accused Australia's courts and judges of being stuck in the 1970s when dealing with family and domestic violence.
Nationals MP Andrew Broad used parliamentary privilege to criticise the punishments given to two offenders in Victoria this past year, including ex-AFL star Nick Stevens whom he claims threatened him.
During a late-night debate on Tuesday, he ridiculed comments made by a judge in handing a minimum six-year jail term to a man who shot his girlfriend dead with what he thought was an unloaded gun in May 2016.
The 31-year-old woman was a White Ribbon advocate and worked at Mildura Council, which falls in his electorate.
"The judge made the comment that it was 'extremely reckless and dangerous and profoundly stupid', and 'placing the loaded handgun against her forehead, cocking it and pulling the trigger were acts of violence'," he told MPs.
"Well, no shit Sherlock."
He said he was frustrated at the inadequacy of the judge's remarks.
"At some point, our community has to say that our judiciary needs to get out of the 1970s and get into 2017."
Mr Broad also raised the case of Stevens, who spent three months in jail for assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
Stevens had his original eight-month jail term cut after abandoning an appeal and securing a deal with prosecutors.
Mr Broad revealed the ex-footballer personally called him on his mobile and warned him against saying anything about his case.
"He largely threatened me and then he proceeded to tell me it was all her fault and nothing ever happened," he told parliament.
The strong campaigner against domestic violence said MPs would not take a backward step when it comes to defending women and saying family violence will not be tolerated.
"In time, that message will make its way through the judiciary, but at this point the judiciary still has a lot to learn when it comes to realising that community attitudes have changed," he said.
"No more can this continue. No more."
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