2016-06-13
The Greens today called on the old parties to match their funding commitment of $54 million per year over ten years for specialist domestic violence services in Western Australia as part of a $5 billion 10-year plan.
In Perth at Women's Health and Family Services, which provides domestic violence services including counselling, advocacy and support, Greens Co-Deputy Leader and spokesperson for women, Larissa Waters, said:
"We're in the middle of a domestic violence crisis, with vulnerable women being turned away from shelters and other frontline services, due to a lack of funding.
"More than halfway through the election campaign, we still haven't heard commitments from the old parties that are strong enough to ensure every woman who reaches out for help to escape domestic violence is supported.
"We Greens are committing $500 million nationally each year for specialist domestic violence services, such as women's shelters, crisis phone services and perpetrator programs, totaling $5 billion over ten years," Senator Waters said.
Greens Senator for Western Australia, Rachel Siewert, said that, of the national funding, Western Australian domestic violence services would receive about $540 million over ten years, depending on the need for services and the adequacy of existing state funding.
"No woman in Western Australia should have to choose between homelessness and violence, a decision that would be all the more heartbreaking for mothers to make.
"Our funding commitment for frontline specialist domestic violence services is in addition to our previously announced commitment to double federal funding for homelessness programs and our commitments on affordable housing.
"The old parties' election commitments on domestic violence funding are dangerously low, with the Coalition providing $200 million over four years to domestic violence services nationally and Labor announcing a further $223 million nationally over four years.
"Australia can afford to make sure women receive the support they need to escape domestic violence services by raising revenue from those who can afford to contribute their fair share, for example through reforming negative gearing.
"It's grossly unfair that women fleeing domestic violence are being left homeless, while the very wealthy get taxpayer-funded subsidies for their multiple investment homes.
"We Greens have the courage and compassion to solve the nation's shameful domestic violence crisis," Senator Siewert said.
The Greens' comprehensive DV services policy is here: http://greens.org.au/domestic-violence