Indigenous leader and academic Professor Marcia Langton has said that the Northern Territory government’s plan to only provide $20 million in funding over two years is a “gobsmacking” approach if it wants to reduce domestic and family violence.
The sector has previously asked for $180 million over five years.
“To reduce it from $180m over five years to $20m over [two] years is not disappointing or dispiriting … it is gobsmacking,” Langton said speaking at a coronial inquest on Tuesday, as reported by the ABC.
Professor Langton was a witness at the ongoing coronial inquest into the deaths of four women, Kumanjayi Haywood, Ngeygo Ragurrk, Miss Yunupingu and Kumarn Rubuntja. Each of these women were killed by their partners after suffering ongoing domestic abuse.
“You can’t tackle this problem with $20 million,” Langton said. “It’s ridiculous, it’s not addressing the problem.”
Professor Langton also made the point that violence within Aboriginal communities was not “customary” or “cultural”, and that it was derogatory to suggest it is. As she said, domestic and family violence is prevalent in all communities in Australia.
“Family violence doesn’t discriminate across lines of gender, class or ethnicity; it happens in all communities,” she said.
“It’s no more the case than to say that family violence is cultural within the white Australian community — what does that even mean?”
Professor Langton also spoke about alcohol restrictions, saying uniform restrictions across the jurisdiction could help reduce rates of violence. She said restrictions were not racially discriminatory if their aim is to protect vulnerable people from becoming victims of violence.
She referred to uniform alcohol restrictions as a public health measure and said they needed to be uniform, not “severe” in Aboriginal areas and “open season” in towns.
Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage has headed the ongoing inquest since June, looking into the response to family and domestic violence in the Northern Territory.
The inquest has heard that the Northern Territory has the highest rates of family and domestic violence in Australia, and that the frontline sector operates in “crisis mode” due to severe shortfalls in funding.
For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).
If you are concerned about your behaviour, or about someone using violence, call Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
If you or someone you know is in need of help due to sexual assault or family and domestic violence contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732
In an emergency call 000.