MARK DREYFUS MP

The Abbott Government's failure to properly fund legal assistance services for vulnerable Australians has been underlined by a public appeal for donations by one of Australia's oldest community legal centres.

In an attempt to win favour with the right-wing of the Liberal Party, Malcolm Turnbull has today endorsed weakening protections against racist hate speech.

Twelve million dollars a year will be slashed from vital legal assistance services for vulnerable Australians as part of an Abbott Government budget designed to secure its short-term political future.

Senator George Brandis is in denial over short-sighted funding cuts to the National Cultural Institutions in the Abbott Government's Budget.

The Abbott Government's short-sighted Budget has dragged the arts community into the dark ages as part of George Brandis grab for personal control over cultural funding.

This Budget is all about saving Tony Abbott's job - not about doing whats right for the future.

With the passing of Andrew Lesnie ACS ASC, Australia has lost one of its great cinematographers.

Labor welcomes the report launched today by the Hon. Fiona Richardson, Victorian Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence into the legal challenges surrounding economic abuse Restoring Financial Safety: Legal Responses to Economic Abuse by Good Shepherd and Wyndham Legal Service.

Labor has called on the Abbott Government to restore a key advisory panel that examined how to reduce age discrimination against workers and jobseekers over 50.

Labor welcomes the appointment of Justice Michelle Gordon to the High Court of Australia.