2024-09-05
Ahead of National Cabinet, the Greens are calling for full funding for frontline family and domestic violence services.
Comments attributable to Australian Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women, Senator Larissa Waters
“The Greens have been calling for full funding of frontline family, domestic and sexual violence services for at least six years now.
“The Finance Minister has foreshadowed a ‘substantial package’ of funding to be announced at National Cabinet tomorrow.
“’Substantial’ must mean that no woman will be turned away from an under-funded frontline support service, be it emergency housing, counselling, support to relocate, or legal support.
“The women’s safety sector has said since 2018 that in order to meet demand, they needed approximately $1 billion each year over the life of the National Plan. That funding would enable those services to help everyone who reaches out for help, rather than having to turn people away back to violence.
“Since that funding plea was made in 2018, demand on frontline services has only increased.
“Anything less than full funding is a betrayal of women by a government that chooses to waste billions on nuclear submarines and tax breaks for fossil fuel companies and property investors, but cries poor when it comes to keeping women safe.
“Current commonwealth funding under the National Plan is only two thirds of what the sector needs. How is it tenable for the Commonwealth to condemn one in three women to be turned away without help back to violence?
“For the National plan to end violence against women and children to succeed it needs to be properly funded, along with dedicated and deep resourcing of prevention work, otherwise we will keep seeing a woman murdered in this country every four days.
“Labor must provide the funds required for the National Plan to succeed, or they risk squandering another decade, and more women’s lives.
“Already this year 47 women have been killed by violence, according to volunteer organisation Counting Dead Women Australia researchers of Destroy the Joint. No more!”