THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
THE HON AMANDA RISHWORTH MP
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR EDUCATION SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
MEMBER FOR KINGSTON
ANNE MCEWEN
CHIEF OPPOSITION WHIP IN THE SENATE
SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
MATT LOADER
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR STURT
LABOR'S BOOST FOR COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRES
A Shorten Labor Government would ensure Community Legal Centres have the funds they need to keep their doors open and can continue to serve those in the community who need them the most.
The Liberals have done nothing but attack legal services since the day they came to office. Malcolm Turnbull and George Brandis have cut $52 million from Community Legal Centres, Legal Aid Commissions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services.
The Turnbull Government's recent funding announcements are a pathetic attempt to fix up the mess it has created. The announcements do not go far enough to address the 30 per cent funding cut Community Legal Centres will face on 1 July 2017, which will see many centres having to close their doors to clients.
Labor is proud to announce that as part of a $43 million package for front-line legal services working to help survivors of domestic violence, the South Australian Women's Legal Service will receive $450,000 and the Southern Community Justice Centre will receive $300,000 in funding over the next three years.
Labor knows how important Community Legal Centres are to Australians. They help Australians when they are often at their lowest and most desperate victims of domestic violence and financial scams are among the most common of their clients.
Thanks to the damaging cuts by Tony Abbott and George Brandis, backed in by Malcolm Turnbull, 160,000 people were turned away from Community Legal Centres last year alone. This is not right and Labor will address it.
Only a Shorten Labor Government would ensure people have access to legal services in times of need.
South Australians can trust Labor to protect Community Legal Centres the only guarantee South Australians will get from a Turnbull Government is a cut to funding.
MONDAY, 6 JUNE 2016
