❓ Ms. Rowe questions the Minister on the McGowan government's approach to family and domestic violence and the adequacy of federal assistance. The Minister outlines state initiatives, criticizes federal funding cuts, and calls for a bipartisan approach.
AnsweredQoN 175Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
175. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the WA Police Force's
recent crime statistics, which show that family and domestic violence continues
to be an issue for communities right across Western Australia. Can the minister
outline to the house how the McGowan government is addressing this issue and
advise whether the federal government is adequately assisting the state in its
work to support victims of family and domestic violence?
VIOLENCE
175. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Prevention of Family
and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the WA Police Force's
recent crime statistics, which show that family and domestic violence continues
to be an issue for communities right across Western Australia. Can the minister
outline to the house how the McGowan government is addressing this issue and
advise whether the federal government is adequately assisting the state in its
work to support victims of family and domestic violence?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Belmont and
all those across the chamber who support action against domestic violence. As
the current police statistics show, as well as statistics for the last couple
of years, WA and Australia have a problem with domestic violence. We are
determined to do something about it. In fact, one of the descriptions I saw
recently in a video coordinated by the Western Australian Council of Social
Service was that, currently, just under 300 000—297 000—Western
Australians have been impacted by domestic violence. Whether that is the 50 000
cases that are reported to police each year or the high number of children—one
in eight—who have experienced domestic violence before the age of 15,
whichever way we look at it, this state has a problem, and we are determined to
do something about it.
In relation to services, the public
have heard, and I have spoken about it in this chamber, that we are building
two new refuges—one in Peel and one in the south metropolitan area—we
are establishing a second residential behaviour-change program for perpetrators,
we have the Pets in Crisis program, and we are also making sure that we have
appropriate responses for people from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds, as well as for Aboriginal women, who are escaping violence. That
is a real challenge—to understand the deeply held cultural issues that
confront women from non-English speaking backgrounds when dealing with domestic
violence. It is also about knowing that in Aboriginal communities, it might not
be police or child protection services that Aboriginal women feel most at home
going to to deal with these issues.
I
was heartened to meet with representatives of Newmont Mining just last week.
They wanted to report that as a result of a meeting I had with them early last
year, when we talked about their agenda to improve the number of women working
in their organisation and family friendly policies and they were interested to
hear about our government initiative to have paid leave for victims of domestic
violence, the company has now instigated 10 days' paid leave for victims
of domestic violence and a range of other initiatives to support family
friendly policies in the workplace. I was very pleased to hear that, just as I was
to hear about the number of companies in the resources sector that are now
white ribbon–accredited. I note that the Water Corporation is now white
ribbon–accredited as well. It is actually a very rigorous accreditation
program, which demands action from employers against domestic violence.
One comment I would like to make is
that we need bold initiatives, but we also need continuity in our funding.
Members would be aware that I was critical of the federal government for
cutting the funding to Keeping Women Safe in their Home, which is a very
effective program. We were pleased to hear the Morrison government announce
that it would reinstate funding to a pool for programs, including Keeping Women
Safe in their Home, but it has not announced the detail. That means there is a gap
between the funding in the program that previously existed and local
organisations—women's refuges and the like—applying for
funding. As a state, we have stepped in and provided gap funding, but that is
money that we cannot provide to other places. We need continuity. We need
long-term funding for some of these programs, because once the workforce is up
and running and there are relationships with the local community, we need to
keep that going. We welcome the announcement by the federal government. Federal
Labor has also committed money in that field, but we need to make sure that
there is continuity and long-term funding. I have written to Minister Paul
Fletcher asking for the details about when services are going to be able to
apply for that funding and whether we are waiting for the federal budget, but I
have not yet had a reply. We need a bipartisan approach to tackling domestic
violence. I am very open to any sort of offers that come our way from either of
the major parties federally to tackle this issue and to work with us on a cooperative
basis to make sure that we are providing services across the state and, indeed,
preventing violence from occurring in the first place.
all those across the chamber who support action against domestic violence. As
the current police statistics show, as well as statistics for the last couple
of years, WA and Australia have a problem with domestic violence. We are
determined to do something about it. In fact, one of the descriptions I saw
recently in a video coordinated by the Western Australian Council of Social
Service was that, currently, just under 300 000—297 000—Western
Australians have been impacted by domestic violence. Whether that is the 50 000
cases that are reported to police each year or the high number of children—one
in eight—who have experienced domestic violence before the age of 15,
whichever way we look at it, this state has a problem, and we are determined to
do something about it.
In relation to services, the public
have heard, and I have spoken about it in this chamber, that we are building
two new refuges—one in Peel and one in the south metropolitan area—we
are establishing a second residential behaviour-change program for perpetrators,
we have the Pets in Crisis program, and we are also making sure that we have
appropriate responses for people from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds, as well as for Aboriginal women, who are escaping violence. That
is a real challenge—to understand the deeply held cultural issues that
confront women from non-English speaking backgrounds when dealing with domestic
violence. It is also about knowing that in Aboriginal communities, it might not
be police or child protection services that Aboriginal women feel most at home
going to to deal with these issues.
I
was heartened to meet with representatives of Newmont Mining just last week.
They wanted to report that as a result of a meeting I had with them early last
year, when we talked about their agenda to improve the number of women working
in their organisation and family friendly policies and they were interested to
hear about our government initiative to have paid leave for victims of domestic
violence, the company has now instigated 10 days' paid leave for victims
of domestic violence and a range of other initiatives to support family
friendly policies in the workplace. I was very pleased to hear that, just as I was
to hear about the number of companies in the resources sector that are now
white ribbon–accredited. I note that the Water Corporation is now white
ribbon–accredited as well. It is actually a very rigorous accreditation
program, which demands action from employers against domestic violence.
One comment I would like to make is
that we need bold initiatives, but we also need continuity in our funding.
Members would be aware that I was critical of the federal government for
cutting the funding to Keeping Women Safe in their Home, which is a very
effective program. We were pleased to hear the Morrison government announce
that it would reinstate funding to a pool for programs, including Keeping Women
Safe in their Home, but it has not announced the detail. That means there is a gap
between the funding in the program that previously existed and local
organisations—women's refuges and the like—applying for
funding. As a state, we have stepped in and provided gap funding, but that is
money that we cannot provide to other places. We need continuity. We need
long-term funding for some of these programs, because once the workforce is up
and running and there are relationships with the local community, we need to
keep that going. We welcome the announcement by the federal government. Federal
Labor has also committed money in that field, but we need to make sure that
there is continuity and long-term funding. I have written to Minister Paul
Fletcher asking for the details about when services are going to be able to
apply for that funding and whether we are waiting for the federal budget, but I
have not yet had a reply. We need a bipartisan approach to tackling domestic
violence. I am very open to any sort of offers that come our way from either of
the major parties federally to tackle this issue and to work with us on a cooperative
basis to make sure that we are providing services across the state and, indeed,
preventing violence from occurring in the first place.
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