THE HON. MARK DREYFUS QC, MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
SENATOR CLAIRE MOORE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CARERS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNITIES
SENATOR FOR QUEENSLAND
WHEN IS A CUT NOT A CUT MINISTER CASH?
Today in Question Time in the Senate the Minister for Women, Senator Michaelia Cash, repeatedly refused to acknowledge, or give reason why, the Government will not commit to renewing desperately needed $12 million in funding to community legal centres.
Community legal centres provide much needed advice to disadvantaged people, including women fleeing domestic violence.
Under the National Partnership Agreement signed by the Government, it is clear that funding for community legal centres will be cut by $12 million in 2017, almost a third of their annual Commonwealth funding.
The Minister for Women should stop misleading the public about her Governments cuts to community legal centres and urgently correct this funding shortfall if the Government is not to abandon those most in need of vital legal assistance services.
Labor's $70 million package ensures that those suffering from family violence can access critical services when they need them.
It includes:
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$50 million to frontline legal services, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services to ensure women suffering from family violence get legal support.
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an initial investment of $15 million in Safe at Home grants to help people affected by family violence stay safe in their own home.
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Labor will invest $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 information sharing.
TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER 2015
