HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
TERRI BUTLER MP
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR CHILD SAFETY AND PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
MEMBER FOR GRIFFITH
TURNBULL GOVERNMENT FAILS TO RESTORE FUNDING FOR FRONTLINE FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICES
The Turnbull Government's MYEFO confirms the Governments decision to retain cuts to legal services that help women experiencing domestic violence.
Despite promising new leadership, Malcolm Turnbull has cut $24 million from community legal centres, $15 million from Legal Aid Commissions, and $13 million from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, Mark Dreyfus said.
Labor welcomed the announcement of $15 million for legal assistance services as part of the Women's Safety Package in November. That package has today been listed in MYEFO's expense measures.
But as we said at the time, that amount only partly makes up for the brutal cuts imposed by the Government across the legal assistance sector, and there are still more to come.
The Turnbull Government is set to cut almost a third of its funding to community legal centres from 2017.
Community legal centres are the frontline in the fight against family and domestic violence, Terri Butler said.
Nationally, family violence is the second most prevalent issue for community legal centres. In the last year they've had a 27 per cent increase in family violence related matters.
Labor also notes that $21.1 million is being taken out of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to pay for indigenous-specific measures in the Women's Safety Package, which means other indigenous services will miss out on this funding.
If the Prime Minister is serious about addressing domestic and family violence he must restore funding to frontline services, she said.
Labor has already announced a package of interim measures which will deliver more than $70 million over three years in targeted funding to ensure those suffering from family violence can access the support they need as well as measures to prevent violence from occurring, including:
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Almost $50 million to frontline legal services, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services to ensure women suffering from family violence get the right legal support.
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$15 million in Safe at Home grants to help people affected by family violence stay safe in their own home.
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$8 million in perpetrator mapping to look at the interactions across family violence, law enforcement, justice, child protection and related systems to help identify opportunities to prevent violence through better information sharing.
Announced last month, a Shorten Labor Government will make domestic and family violence leave a universal workplace right. Labor will act to further support those suffering family and domestic violence in our community by providing for five days paid domestic and family violence leave in the National Employment Standards (NES).
Labor welcomed the COAG decision to hold a national family violence summit, though we believe it should occur sooner than late 2016. Bill Shorten first called for a national summit in March 2015.
If you cover this story, or any story regarding violence against women and children, please include the following tagline:
*** If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visitwww.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000***
TUESDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2015
