❓ Mr. Folkard questions the Minister about the effectiveness of the 'Keeping Women Safe in their Homes' program and urges the federal government to reinstate funding. The Minister highlights the program's success and criticizes the federal government's decision to cut funding, emphasizing the state government's commitment to continue the program.
AnsweredQoN 851Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KEEPING WOMEN SAFE IN
THEIR HOMES PROGRAM
851. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Prevention of
Family and Domestic Violence:
I
refer to the McGowan government's support for the crucially important
domestic violence program, Keeping Women Safe in their Homes. Can the
minister outline to the house how this program has been effective in supporting
women, and why the federal government should reverse its decision to
heartlessly cut its funding to this program?
THEIR HOMES PROGRAM
851. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Prevention of
Family and Domestic Violence:
I
refer to the McGowan government's support for the crucially important
domestic violence program, Keeping Women Safe in their Homes. Can the
minister outline to the house how this program has been effective in supporting
women, and why the federal government should reverse its decision to
heartlessly cut its funding to this program?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for the question. It is particularly relevant today, 31
October, because the federal government's contribution to this program
is coming to an end. Members might have heard me speak about this before. This
is commonwealth funding of $1.47 million, which, amongst other things, has
supported a program called Keeping Women Safe in their Homes. Last year alone,
this program supported 700 women and their families who were escaping domestic
violence. It is an incredibly cost-effective program, as well as being very
effective for the victims. It gives women and their children who are
experiencing domestic violence a suite of options should they wish to leave a violent
relationship. I was very concerned that last week in the estimates process, the
commonwealth Minister for Families and Social Services indicated that the
federal government funding was supplementary—those
were the words he used. Women's and children's safety should
not be supplementary to this government. On the weekend, a spokesperson for the
same minister said it was disingenuous for the Western Australian government to
argue that the money for Keeping Women Safe in their Homes was more than a one-off
gap funding arrangement, and that the commonwealth is responsible for funding
only primary prevention. From those two comments, it looks as though the
commonwealth is walking away from programs and interventions that support
safety and recovery for women and children experiencing domestic violence. That
is not acceptable.
It is an interesting position for
the commonwealth to take when there is a 12-year plan that started in 2010. We
are in the middle of the 12-year ''National Plan to Reduce Violence
against Women and their Children''—it is due to expire in 2022.
From today, the state government will step in and make sure that the workers
who are doing that important work are not laid off and that women who are
looking for a variety of options to leave violent relationships are not left
high and dry. If that program were exiting the suite of options, additional
pressure would be put on the rest of the system. We will step in, but we will
continue our campaign to call on the federal government to reinstate that
funding. I am particularly pleased to see members from the other side of the
house nodding in agreement. They agree that the federal government should fund
this program. The Lucy Saw Centre is one centre that offers this program; it
provides services in the electorate of the member for Dawesville. What is the
member for Dawesville going to do to seek that the federal government reinstate
this funding? I ask that of all members in this chamber, including those across
the other side of the chamber.
I want to quickly refer to Crystal.
People may have seen her photo in The West Australian . She also spoke to
the ABC. She has been a client of the Lucy Saw Centre. She used that service to
escape a violent relationship that she was in for five years. She is a mother
of three. She was a working mum but lost her job due to her ex-partner stalking
her at the workplace and calling the office. She could not go to work due to
her injuries sustained by her ex-partner. Those injuries included broken bones.
He broke her nose many times and he fractured her tailbone. He is now in jail
because of his assault on Crystal and his breach of restraining orders and
police and court orders. However, because of the assistance Crystal was given
by the Lucy Saw Centre through the Keeping Women Safe in their Homes program,
she is getting back on her feet. The kids are at school and doing quite well.
She is studying. When I spoke to her, she said that because of the support of
the Lucy Saw Centre and that program, she and her children are back on their
feet. That speaks volumes for the effectiveness of that program and the Lucy
Saw Centre and the need for this federal government to step up and fund the
Keeping Women Safe in their Homes program.
thank the member for the question. It is particularly relevant today, 31
October, because the federal government's contribution to this program
is coming to an end. Members might have heard me speak about this before. This
is commonwealth funding of $1.47 million, which, amongst other things, has
supported a program called Keeping Women Safe in their Homes. Last year alone,
this program supported 700 women and their families who were escaping domestic
violence. It is an incredibly cost-effective program, as well as being very
effective for the victims. It gives women and their children who are
experiencing domestic violence a suite of options should they wish to leave a violent
relationship. I was very concerned that last week in the estimates process, the
commonwealth Minister for Families and Social Services indicated that the
federal government funding was supplementary—those
were the words he used. Women's and children's safety should
not be supplementary to this government. On the weekend, a spokesperson for the
same minister said it was disingenuous for the Western Australian government to
argue that the money for Keeping Women Safe in their Homes was more than a one-off
gap funding arrangement, and that the commonwealth is responsible for funding
only primary prevention. From those two comments, it looks as though the
commonwealth is walking away from programs and interventions that support
safety and recovery for women and children experiencing domestic violence. That
is not acceptable.
It is an interesting position for
the commonwealth to take when there is a 12-year plan that started in 2010. We
are in the middle of the 12-year ''National Plan to Reduce Violence
against Women and their Children''—it is due to expire in 2022.
From today, the state government will step in and make sure that the workers
who are doing that important work are not laid off and that women who are
looking for a variety of options to leave violent relationships are not left
high and dry. If that program were exiting the suite of options, additional
pressure would be put on the rest of the system. We will step in, but we will
continue our campaign to call on the federal government to reinstate that
funding. I am particularly pleased to see members from the other side of the
house nodding in agreement. They agree that the federal government should fund
this program. The Lucy Saw Centre is one centre that offers this program; it
provides services in the electorate of the member for Dawesville. What is the
member for Dawesville going to do to seek that the federal government reinstate
this funding? I ask that of all members in this chamber, including those across
the other side of the chamber.
I want to quickly refer to Crystal.
People may have seen her photo in The West Australian . She also spoke to
the ABC. She has been a client of the Lucy Saw Centre. She used that service to
escape a violent relationship that she was in for five years. She is a mother
of three. She was a working mum but lost her job due to her ex-partner stalking
her at the workplace and calling the office. She could not go to work due to
her injuries sustained by her ex-partner. Those injuries included broken bones.
He broke her nose many times and he fractured her tailbone. He is now in jail
because of his assault on Crystal and his breach of restraining orders and
police and court orders. However, because of the assistance Crystal was given
by the Lucy Saw Centre through the Keeping Women Safe in their Homes program,
she is getting back on her feet. The kids are at school and doing quite well.
She is studying. When I spoke to her, she said that because of the support of
the Lucy Saw Centre and that program, she and her children are back on their
feet. That speaks volumes for the effectiveness of that program and the Lucy
Saw Centre and the need for this federal government to step up and fund the
Keeping Women Safe in their Homes program.
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