FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — AMBULANCE
FEES
291. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I have a supplementary question. Can I take it from the
minister's answer that she has not lobbied the Premier; Treasurer to
guarantee that victims of domestic violence will not be left with $1 000 bills
if they are forced to call an ambulance as a result of domestic violence?
Ms S.F. McGURK
replied:
I outlined in question time this week that since the current
shadow Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence has taken office,
we have had one press release from her. There is a lot to do. There is no doubt
about it. In the health system, we have the North Metropolitan Health Service,
which has its own framework for dealing with domestic violence both in terms of
being a high employer of women in their service —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Ms S.F. McGURK: I know you might not be interested in
some of the detail of what we are doing, but it is actually quite
comprehensive. We have one of the bigger health services with its own framework
dealing not only with its own staff, but also with patients. All maternity
patients coming through the public health system are screened for domestic
violence. There is a lot to do, member, and $150 million of new spending and a strategy
to start to work through that is not something to be ignored. Yes, there is a lot
to do to look at preventing domestic violence and responding to domestic violence.
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
Ms S.F. McGURK: I am really not of a mind to take a lecture
from the opposition on how we should prioritise our spending.