❓ A parliamentary question regarding the funding and opening of Rebecca West House, a women's refuge in the northern suburbs. The Minister disputes Labor's claim of delivering the refuge, asserting it was delivered by the current government.
AnsweredQoN 733Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
REBECCA
WEST HOUSE
733. Hon ALYSSA HAYDEN to the Minister for Child Protection:
I recently read a policy statement
put out by the Labor Party and I am a little confused. Labor has claimed that
previous Labor governments delivered $1.5 million for a new women's
refuge in the northern suburbs. Can the minister advise the name of this refuge
and when it officially opened?
WEST HOUSE
733. Hon ALYSSA HAYDEN to the Minister for Child Protection:
I recently read a policy statement
put out by the Labor Party and I am a little confused. Labor has claimed that
previous Labor governments delivered $1.5 million for a new women's
refuge in the northern suburbs. Can the minister advise the name of this refuge
and when it officially opened?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. Hon Alyssa Hayden raises a very good point. Our government funds 37
women's refuges. I must say that I am rather perplexed about why Labor
seems to be misrepresenting the truth if, indeed, the $1.5 million in its
policy document is in reference to the new Rebecca West House in the northern
suburbs and why Labor is claiming it delivered this women's refuge.
When Labor was in government the refuge it operated in the northern suburbs was
a house called Damara House, which had a capacity for only two women, each with
two children. However, it was very welcome in the area. This government
delivered the new refuge. In fact, on 16 November 2010 Hon Sue Ellery asked me
when the new refuge would be completed. Part of my answer was that the then
Department of Housing and Works had indicated that land development approval
for the new site had been granted. I also said that it would open earlier than
it did. But as I recall, we were well and truly in government in November 2010.
So, our new service that will provide accommodation for six women and their
accompanying children has been purpose-built by the Department of Housing.
As to Hon Alyssa
Hayden's second question as to when did it open, I have not officially
opened it yet. We have been in government for four years, so the previous
government could not have delivered this refuge. I will be opening it next
month.
Several members
interjected.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY : I am very proud to say that it is our
government that is opening this new refuge, not yours!
Several members
interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members!
When you are ready, I will call the next member.
question. Hon Alyssa Hayden raises a very good point. Our government funds 37
women's refuges. I must say that I am rather perplexed about why Labor
seems to be misrepresenting the truth if, indeed, the $1.5 million in its
policy document is in reference to the new Rebecca West House in the northern
suburbs and why Labor is claiming it delivered this women's refuge.
When Labor was in government the refuge it operated in the northern suburbs was
a house called Damara House, which had a capacity for only two women, each with
two children. However, it was very welcome in the area. This government
delivered the new refuge. In fact, on 16 November 2010 Hon Sue Ellery asked me
when the new refuge would be completed. Part of my answer was that the then
Department of Housing and Works had indicated that land development approval
for the new site had been granted. I also said that it would open earlier than
it did. But as I recall, we were well and truly in government in November 2010.
So, our new service that will provide accommodation for six women and their
accompanying children has been purpose-built by the Department of Housing.
As to Hon Alyssa
Hayden's second question as to when did it open, I have not officially
opened it yet. We have been in government for four years, so the previous
government could not have delivered this refuge. I will be opening it next
month.
Several members
interjected.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY : I am very proud to say that it is our
government that is opening this new refuge, not yours!
Several members
interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order, members!
When you are ready, I will call the next member.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.