2016-04-29
The Greens have announced a plan to double funding for women’s shelters and are calling on the Turnbull Government to reverse its domestic violence funding cuts and boost funding in next week’s budget.
At Women’s House Shelta, the oldest women’s shelter in Brisbane, today, Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, said:
“Next week’s budget is a clear test for Malcolm Turnbull. Despite all the Prime Minister’s fine words and ribbon wearing, crisis services do not have the funding they need to keep up with the tragically demand.
“The Prime Minister says domestic violence is a “great national shame” but he has so far refused to reverse Tony Abbott’s funding cuts to women’s legal services, the construction of new refuges and to homelessness organisations.
“As community awareness of domestic violence continues to rise, more and more women are bravely reaching out for help.
“Front-line services need an urgent and comprehensive funding boost to ensure that every woman who reaches out gets the help she needs to escape violence.
“As a first step, the Greens are calling on Malcolm Turnbull to match our announcement of a doubling of funding for women’s shelters as part of our $1.1 billion homelessness services funding pledge.
“We can double funding for homelessness services by raising revenue from the big end of town which is not paying its fair share, for example by reforming negative gearing.
“It’s grossly inequitable that the very wealthy receive a government subsidy for their multiple investment properties, in the form of negative gearing, while women are forced to choose between homelessness or violence,” Senator Waters said.
The Greens will be announcing further election commitments on domestic violence in the coming weeks.
More information about domestic violence funding below.