Chanel Contos has launched a new petition urging the state government to overhaul sex education and consent laws.

Chanel Contos has launched a new petition urging the state government to overhaul sex education and consent laws.Credit:Liliana Zaharia

It calls for sex education to cover issues including “rape culture,slut shaming,sexual coercion and queer sex”,and also demands urgentlaw reform “to require sexual consent to be enthusiastic consent”.

The official ePetition needs 20,000 signatures to trigger a debate in the lower house and follows Ms Contos’online petition,which has so far been signed by almost 30,000 people.

Ms Contos,a former Kambala student who has collected about 5000 testimonies about sexual assault from young women,said she was thankful that MPs from different parties were supporting her movement.

“I hope as a community we get to 20,000 signatures fast,to show the urgency of this issue,” she said.

Ms Leong said current and former students had “made it clear from their brave disclosures of sexual assault that there is an urgent need for change”.

“As women MPs we have a responsibility - and a determination - to work together and act to end to sexual violence,” Ms Leong said. “It’s crucial that the issue of consent is something that is a priority for all lawmakers in NSW and across the country.”

Ms Wilson,the Liberal MP for North Shore,said Ms Contos had “opened the door for thousands of our youngest members of society to[disclose] their history of horrific and widespread sexual assault”.

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“All MPs owe it to them to hear their voices,and deliver the social and structural changes we need,” Ms Wilson said.

Ms O’Neill,the Labor MP for Coogee,said the “once in a generation curriculum review” should ensure age-appropriate consent lessons were embedded in education.

The NSW government has been considering a Law Review Commission report into sexual consent laws since last year,with Premier Gladys Berejiklian insisting it remains a priority.

“Can I please state unequivocally that our priority to support those consent laws has not diminished,” Ms Berejiklian told a budget estimates hearing last week.

“Please do not regard lack of sufficient progress as any indication of our government’s lack of priority.”

Pressed on whether she would reinstate a minister for sexual assault,the Premier said:“That issue is so critical that it cuts across education,health and a number of different government agencies. We approach those issues from a whole-of-government perspective.”

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Meanwhile,federal Greens spokeswoman for women Larissa Waters is calling on the federal government to step into the education space and fully fund a nationwide rollout ofthe respectful relationships program devised by Our Watch,the government’s primary prevention agency.

The program takes a “whole of school” approach and has so far been trialled in Victoria and Queensland,with evaluations to be published in coming weeks.

Ms Waters said it was time the federal government ensured all students received a national program that was consistent,age-appropriate,of a high standard and delivered by experts.

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