CORONAVIRUS —
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — FUNDING
491. Mr
A. KRSTICEVIC to the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic
Violence:
What
would the minister say to the 18 organisations that provide family and domestic
violence counselling, advocacy and support services that have stated the
minister has failed to provide enough funding, especially in the context of the
spike in violence associated with the COVID crisis?
Ms S.F.
McGURK replied:
One of the messages that was very
important for us to get out to the public during the pandemic, particularly in
the early stages—as there was a concern in Western Australia and this
was acknowledged nationally—was that we were likely to see increased
levels of domestic violence. It was common sense that having additional
pressures, whether that is economic insecurity, uncertainty or fear of
contracting the virus, people closed down in their houses would give
perpetrators increased opportunity to exercise control and perhaps physical
violence. This was on everyone's
radar; it was certainly on the state government's radar and I remember
the Prime Minister referring to it as well. It was very important for us to
send the message to all members of the public in Western Australia, including
women, that if they needed help, it was there—emergency services were
open and available to meet the demand of people reaching out for help. In fact,
I advocated for the federal government to reinstate the WESNET phone support program
that gave out mobile phones with a bit of credit through the refuges, so anyone
who needed a spare phone had one available to them. To its credit, the federal
government changed its position and reinstated the program that makes those
mobile phones available.
It
concerns me that the opposition is sending a message that emergency services,
particularly in relation to domestic violence, could be compromised at
this time. That is not the case. There have been no funding cuts to that sector
at all. In fact, to the contrary, we have injected significant new funds. We
are working on a range of different areas to make sure that victims are safe
and perpetrators are held to account, we have a responsive justice system and
we stop the violence happening in the first place through either the Respectful
Relationships program in schools or the 16 Days in WA to Stop Violence Against
Women campaign.
During the debate on the suspension
of standing orders earlier, I read out the very stellar and fulsome endorsement
we have had from the sector on our attention
and commitment to that work. There were a few howls at the end of the suspension debate; I might have come up against
the clock. Alison Evans, who is the CEO of the Women's Community
Health Network, wrote to me on 16 June thanking me for my steadfast leadership
in the areas of family and domestic violence and women's interests.
That is the feedback that we get day in, day out—when I am at refuges
and government members are at women's services. I know other members of
Parliament are in touch, perhaps more so than the member for Carine; they are
out there making sure that they are in touch with refuges. It is a challenge.
There is no doubt that there is enormous demand. That is because we have high
levels of domestic violence and this area was completely neglected for eight
and a half years under the previous government. In fact, there was a contraction
of policy attention, law reform and specialist services under the previous
government. I am very proud of the extra attention and effort that we are
putting in to combat domestic violence, but, frankly, it is a long game, as I have
said publicly.
The Premier spoke about $58 million
in additional supplementary funding for the equal remuneration order that has
been put in place already to the community sector, a reinstatement of a fairer
indexation policy that will deliver about $30 million to the sector and $1.9 million
or so in additional funding that is being put on specifically as an
acknowledgement of the sector's wage pressures. As I said, there is a lot
to do; there is no doubt about it. That is why we are taking a strategic
approach and working in partnership with the sector to prioritise that work and
make sure that we are partnering with the community and the corporates. I have
acknowledged before in this place the work
of Woodside and Newmont Corporation, which have generously supported the refuge
sector, as has Minderoo and Mineral Resources. We all have a role to
play and there is a lot to do. This government is working very hard to make
sure that women and children in this state are safe.