Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I had the privilege last week to launch an initiative by Women's Legal Service Tasmania to assist women escaping domestic violence in Northern Tasmania. I'm committed to addressing and creating effective change in the area of family and domestic violence in my region, and it's an issue that I made particular reference to in my first speech to parliament, just a few months ago. I'm proud to be part of a government that is committed to doing more to address family, sexual and domestic violence. Funding by the Morrison government for the Women's Legal Service Tasmania includes the provision of financial support services such as advice, counselling and financial literacy to support women experiencing family violence.

It is so important to have a women's legal service as a specialised service provider to work, in a trauma-informed way, with women who have experienced, are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing family violence. This program recognises that a holistic approach is important in responding to family violence. It aims to build capacity and resilience in our community and enable women to exercise real choice about their lives. Whilst I am delighted that we can support this much-needed service, it is the hope of all of us that these services will one day be obsolete. But we still have a long way to go. Thank you to Yvette Cehtel, CEO of Women's Legal Service Tasmania; Sonia Shimeld, long-time chair of the board; Jonathan Turk from Anglicare Tasmania; and all involved in this area for the incredible work that you do.

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