2022-11-03
Minister Rishworth’s National Press Club address, like the Women’s Budget Statement, outlines the problems women face, but offers very little when it comes to delivering the solutions women need.
Lines attributable to Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Larissa Waters
“Like the Women’s Budget last week, the Minister’s National Press Club address was big on words and small on dollars and actions.
“Additional funding for emergency housing is welcome, but when the waiting list for social housing is over 50,000 in Queensland alone, $100m for 720 houses is a drop in the ocean.
“The housing crisis is felt even more acutely by women and children experiencing family and domestic violence. Women are forced to choose between abuse or homelessness, because there is nowhere to go.
“Women on low wages or income support are especially vulnerable without the resources to escape violent situations. Yet this government persists with the cruelty of keeping income support payments like JobSeeker below the poverty line, and has the audacity to cry poor while dishing out hundreds of billions in tax cuts and investment property perks for the rich.
“The women’s safety sector has repeatedly called for a $1B per year to ensure funding meets demand. Even with the budget’s re-badged Morrison government funding commitments, a small increase in frontline workers, and partial indexation, the amount still only adds up to $300m each year.
“A partial indexation of funding is not a funding increase for frontline services, and the Albanese Government should know better than to try and spin it as one.
“A standalone National plan to end violence against First Nations women and children is an urgent national priority. But instead of action, First Nations women are left with more consultation, research, evidence gathering. First Nations women must be centred in the development of the plan, and funded to do that work.
“A focus on changing the behaviour of perpetrators, 95%of whom are men, is also very welcome. Research and evaluation and awareness campaigns are important, and funding for No to Violence is essential. But the waiting lists for existing programs are still far too long and won’t get shorter without significantly more money. For some women, waiting for her partner to get help will be deadly.
“For the National plan to end violence against women and children to succeed it needs to be properly funded, and it needs targeted, meaningful goals. We heard today about the Outcomes Framework but we’re still a long way from being able to celebrate actual outcomes.
“There needs to be dollars and targets attached to the talk about family, domestic and sexual violence.”