❓ Mr. Krsticevic questions the Minister about the release of the 10-year domestic violence strategy and funding increases since 2017. The Minister details government investments and initiatives, acknowledging increased domestic violence during COVID-19.
AnsweredQoN 277Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — STRATEGY
277. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Minister for Prevention of
Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the McGowan government's
public consultation for the 10-year strategy for reducing family and domestic
violence in Western Australia, which was completed in June 2019.
(1) Will the
minister urgently release and implement the 10-year strategy, given the
terrible impact of the coronavirus crisis on family and domestic violence in Western
Australia?
(2) How much
additional funding has the state government invested in this area since the
2017 state election?
277. Mr A. KRSTICEVIC to the Minister for Prevention of
Family and Domestic Violence:
I refer to the McGowan government's
public consultation for the 10-year strategy for reducing family and domestic
violence in Western Australia, which was completed in June 2019.
(1) Will the
minister urgently release and implement the 10-year strategy, given the
terrible impact of the coronavirus crisis on family and domestic violence in Western
Australia?
(2) How much
additional funding has the state government invested in this area since the
2017 state election?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question.
(1)–(2) Towards
the end of the question I thought it was a little like a question that might
have come from the government side, because
I am very proud of the additional investments this government has made, in both dollar terms and effort, to combat our high rates of domestic violence. This is
a particular issue for us during COVID-19; the isolation that goes along with
trying to prevent the threat of contagion and possible contamination has
created increased opportunities for perpetrators to exercise control and aggression
over their victims and their families. I now sit on the State Disaster Council
and I have heard the Commissioner of Police regularly report that although
there has been a levelling-out of crime statistics—in fact, in many cases a reduction—that is sadly not the
case for domestic violence. We have seen an increase in the number of
family-related assaults and, particularly, in threatening behaviour, both in
year-on-year figures and on the preceding month.
�We are likely to
see—I am discussing this with the police commissioner and there is some
evidence internationally—that this
is but the tip of the iceberg. As people start to come out of their houses and
again engage in the community generally, we will see an increase in
reporting. I was pleased to be part of discussions with my counterparts from
the other states and in the federal government which, to its credit, has this
financial year committed an extra $150 million to combating domestic violence.
From now until the end of the financial year our allocation will be $3 million,
and then we expect to get a proportion of that money for the following
financial year; it is just about to come through. We will allocate that to
existing services as brokerage money so that they have some flexibility.
Obviously, their services will be more in demand, but they are also having to
isolate within those services. They have to accommodate fewer people, which is
a challenge for them. However, it is a challenge that is not beyond them; they
are stepping up to the effort fantastically.
There will be some brokerage money,
there will be some money to track perpetrators, there will be some additional
money for children—the $3 million that the federal government has
committed—and money for keeping women safe in their home. That is when
victims and their children get to stay in the house and the perpetrator moves
out, so that is a good thing.
Since coming to office, we have
allocated about $53 million in additional new money to combat domestic
violence. I am happy to go through all those initiatives. They include the
construction of two new refuges this year—one will be in Peel and one
will be in Kwinana—and two hubs, one in Mirrabooka and one in
Kalgoorlie. There will be training through the Respectful Relationships program
in schools and paid leave in the public sector. There will be funding for the
Pets in Crisis program, partnering with the RSPCA, so that people can know that
their pets are being looked after.
There are also significant law
reforms. There is a bill that has passed through the lower house and has yet to
be finalised in the upper house—a significant law reform that was given
very fulsome praise by the Women's Council for Domestic and Family
Violence for its breadth. However, a number of provisions were expedited
through Parliament because of their applicability to COVID: restraining orders
can now be applied for electronically by a third
party, such as a legal service or an advocate; the electronic monitoring of perpetrators; and increased fines relating to restraining orders. They are
all good initiatives that we are now advertising to make sure people are aware
of them.
The final point is in relation to the
domestic violence 10-year strategy. Essentially, we are doing a lot of
immediate work, and that is important. We have framed that around making sure
victims are safe, perpetrators are held to account, our justice system is
appropriate, and we are stopping the violence before it starts. But this is a long
game. We need to fundamentally change the attitudes in the community that lead
to violence and we have done some fantastic consultation around the state to
look at pacing out that work over the next 10 years and prioritising it. I think
that strategy is at the printing stage, so it will be released very shortly. I look
forward to partnering with the other side of the chamber to implement that in a
bipartisan way to make sure that the community can make no mistake that
violence is not acceptable in any circumstances.
question.
(1)–(2) Towards
the end of the question I thought it was a little like a question that might
have come from the government side, because
I am very proud of the additional investments this government has made, in both dollar terms and effort, to combat our high rates of domestic violence. This is
a particular issue for us during COVID-19; the isolation that goes along with
trying to prevent the threat of contagion and possible contamination has
created increased opportunities for perpetrators to exercise control and aggression
over their victims and their families. I now sit on the State Disaster Council
and I have heard the Commissioner of Police regularly report that although
there has been a levelling-out of crime statistics—in fact, in many cases a reduction—that is sadly not the
case for domestic violence. We have seen an increase in the number of
family-related assaults and, particularly, in threatening behaviour, both in
year-on-year figures and on the preceding month.
�We are likely to
see—I am discussing this with the police commissioner and there is some
evidence internationally—that this
is but the tip of the iceberg. As people start to come out of their houses and
again engage in the community generally, we will see an increase in
reporting. I was pleased to be part of discussions with my counterparts from
the other states and in the federal government which, to its credit, has this
financial year committed an extra $150 million to combating domestic violence.
From now until the end of the financial year our allocation will be $3 million,
and then we expect to get a proportion of that money for the following
financial year; it is just about to come through. We will allocate that to
existing services as brokerage money so that they have some flexibility.
Obviously, their services will be more in demand, but they are also having to
isolate within those services. They have to accommodate fewer people, which is
a challenge for them. However, it is a challenge that is not beyond them; they
are stepping up to the effort fantastically.
There will be some brokerage money,
there will be some money to track perpetrators, there will be some additional
money for children—the $3 million that the federal government has
committed—and money for keeping women safe in their home. That is when
victims and their children get to stay in the house and the perpetrator moves
out, so that is a good thing.
Since coming to office, we have
allocated about $53 million in additional new money to combat domestic
violence. I am happy to go through all those initiatives. They include the
construction of two new refuges this year—one will be in Peel and one
will be in Kwinana—and two hubs, one in Mirrabooka and one in
Kalgoorlie. There will be training through the Respectful Relationships program
in schools and paid leave in the public sector. There will be funding for the
Pets in Crisis program, partnering with the RSPCA, so that people can know that
their pets are being looked after.
There are also significant law
reforms. There is a bill that has passed through the lower house and has yet to
be finalised in the upper house—a significant law reform that was given
very fulsome praise by the Women's Council for Domestic and Family
Violence for its breadth. However, a number of provisions were expedited
through Parliament because of their applicability to COVID: restraining orders
can now be applied for electronically by a third
party, such as a legal service or an advocate; the electronic monitoring of perpetrators; and increased fines relating to restraining orders. They are
all good initiatives that we are now advertising to make sure people are aware
of them.
The final point is in relation to the
domestic violence 10-year strategy. Essentially, we are doing a lot of
immediate work, and that is important. We have framed that around making sure
victims are safe, perpetrators are held to account, our justice system is
appropriate, and we are stopping the violence before it starts. But this is a long
game. We need to fundamentally change the attitudes in the community that lead
to violence and we have done some fantastic consultation around the state to
look at pacing out that work over the next 10 years and prioritising it. I think
that strategy is at the printing stage, so it will be released very shortly. I look
forward to partnering with the other side of the chamber to implement that in a
bipartisan way to make sure that the community can make no mistake that
violence is not acceptable in any circumstances.
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