Turnbull’s budget devastating and dangerous on family violence - Women's Agenda

Turnbull’s budget devastating and dangerous on family violence

Since Prime Minister Turnbull took over the leadership last year, he has told Australians that he will treat family violence as a national priority. But his budget this week proves that isn’t the case.

The announcement of just $33 million extra in the coming year to address violence against women and children is woefully inadequate, and will mean thousands of women reaching out for help will still be left without the service support they need to be safe.

Let’s put that funding in perspective. Last month the Victorian government committed $572 million of additional funding to address service and system gaps in just one state. And given Victoria is considered by many to have led the way in a number of domestic violence response areas over the past decade; we can pretty safely assume a similar level of per capita investment will be needed nation-wide. That would equate to about $4 billion of Federal Government funding over two years.

Instead, this week the Turnbull Government announced $33 million for the next year ($100 million spread over three years).

It’s a woefully inadequate response to a national epidemic of abuse that is expected to affect 1 in 4 women in their lifetime.

It’s a decision that leaves a range of critical services unable to provide adequate support to all the women reaching out to them for help. Services like Family Violence Prevention Legal Services – a vital specialist service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, who face a vastly increased risk of murder and hospitalisation as a result of perpetrators of family violence. Only 14 centres are funded across the whole country.

As the National Convenor of the Family Violence Prevention Legal Services, Antoinette Braybrook said: “Violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children is at epidemic levels. It will cost the nation $2.2 billion by 2021-22. Its moral cost – which sees lives lost and communities destroyed – is unquantifiable. Yet tragically a response to this violence is invisible in the Budget Papers.”

“Budgets set out the priorities of Government. Ending the disproportionate impact of violence against Aboriginal women should have been front and centre of this Budget.”

Another vital family violence related service that got no mention in this week’s budget is Community Legal Centres.

Community Legal Centres help over 215,000 people each year, but inadequate resourcing means they’re forced to turn away more than 160,000, including women affected by family violence. Family violence and family law work are the top two areas of demand for CLCs across Australia. They’re a critical resource for women affected by family violence.

Not only did Community Legal Centres not get a mention on budget night, the budget confirmed that in the future they can expect to have their funding cut by 30% — something experts say will mean more women can’t get the legal help they need to maintain their safety.

Within the additional funding that was announced, specialist domestic and family violence services – which respond to police referrals, run refuges, and deliver crisis and outreach work – are expected to get some of the $33 million additional annual funding. But to put that in context, within the Victorian Government’s recent announcement, $103.9 million over two years was dedicated just to addressing unmet specialist service need. $103.9 million just for gaps in Victoria.

And factored into any analysis of service need should be that there’s a COAG awareness campaign being rolled out across the country. Now, it’s incredibly important that the Government is also investing in awareness raising and prevention. That’s what we’ll need to reduce the number of people perpetrating family violence in the future.

But the more we raise awareness of family violence, the more women reach out to services for help. And services aren’t funded to keep up with current levels of demand, let alone increased demand. So to raise awareness, without also fully funding the services women need now, is really dangerous.

And while it’s nowhere near enough, the announcement of new funding by the Turnbull Government is positive progress. And it shows how important it is to keep building community pressure around this issue.

The Treasurer has said that this government will ‘afford the things that need to be afforded’ – we as a community need to keep speaking out until keeping women safe falls into that category.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. For more information about a service in your state or local area download the DAISY App in the App Store or Google Play.

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