JULIE COLLINS MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGEING AND SENIORS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MEMBER FOR FRANKLIN

SENATOR JENNY MCALLISTER
SHADOW CABINET SECRETARY
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE LABOR LEADER IN THE SENATE
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR COMMUNITIES AND THE PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE


GOVERNMENT MAKES FRONTLINE FAMILY VIOLENCE ORGANISATIONS WAIT SIX MONTHS FOR EMERGENCY COVID-19 FUNDS

Yesterday the Morrison Government finally announced how it would allocate the remaining more than half of the ‘initial’ $150 million in emergency funding it promised in March to respond to the increase in family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March, the Prime Minister announced some ‘initial’ extra funding for the prevention of violence against women and their children before turning around and deciding that only half would be made available immediately.

It has taken the Morrison Government almost another six months to allocate the remainder of these ‘initial’ funds to the states on a per capita basis.

The Government should have made this decision in March.

This money could have placed more beds in refuges, funded more perpetrator interventions, and provided more counselling for victim-survivors. Instead the Morrison Government sat on it for almost six months.

The Government’s delay has hurt front line service providers’ ability to respond to the surge in family and domestic violence.

Service providers and those unable to access timely services deserve better from the Morrison Government.


THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER, 2020

MEDIA CONTACTS:
LIAM CARSWELL (COLLINS) 0438 469 119
LEILA STENNETT (MCALLISTER) 0436 632 388