A new federal commission is set to be unveiled by the Morrison Government in a bid to address domestic and family violence and bring rates down “toward zero”.
Set to be called the Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Commission, today’s unveiled plans indicate it would operate in a similar way to the Mental Health Commission.
Released by Women’s Safety Mininster Anne Ruston (with the community given two weeks to respond) the plan promises to address calls for more certainty on funding and deliver more details on the billion dollar spending outlined in last year’s budget for addressing the issue.
The Commission would also provide a national view of what is and isn’t working, given states and territories currently report on domestic and family violence in their own ways.
This new ten year plan signals there will be five-year action plans launched to meet priority focus efforts and government investments, aiming to address everything from counseling to emergency helpline, legal advice and housing.
There will also be dedicated five-year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plans.
The Action Plans will detail the priority focus areas for implementation and will focus efforts and government investment in those focus areas.
Ruston’s statement described family, domestic and sexual violence as a “national shame” declaring we must work towards driving the levels of such violence “toward zero.”
“This means working towards national definitions of the different forms of violence to inform and support program and policy design across the public and private sector as well ensuring that all Australians have equal access to support and justice.”
