Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lindsay specifically and other members for their questions and the points they have made. The member for Lindsay has specifically asked what further measures the government is investing in to secure women's safety. I'm pleased to advise her that the 2021-22 budget provides unprecedented funding towards ending violence against women and children.

The priority of the Morrison government has always been keeping Australians safe—safe in their home, safe at work and safe in our communities. Working towards this goal, we are focused on making Australia a place that is free from violence against women and children. The funding committed in the budget is the federal government's single largest investment in women's safety and domestic violence support in history, across any government. The billion dollar Women's Safety Package includes a $600 million investment in women's safety measures under the Social Services portfolio that contribute to the 'towards zero' target, forming part of the measures considered today in Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2021-2022. As the member for Lindsay has highlighted, these measures build on the work of the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children and the funding committed through COVID to assist frontline services. This historic budget funding is a down payment for the future. It ensures a seamless transition to a new national plan to end violence against women and children, which will commence in July next year but looks at issues facing today and builds a base for new and emerging issues.

As part of the package we are also providing funding of $12.6 million for five additional projects under the Safe Places initiative. These projects will provide emergency accommodation for women and children escaping violence in regional and remote communities. We want women to know they have somewhere safe to go when they make a brave decision to escape violent situations. Women and children in regional and remote communities in particular face specific challenges, especially when they're not able to stay with family and friends. The new emergency accommodation created by these projects will not only give women and children a safe place to stay but also provide access to specialist family and domestic violence services to help them get back on their feet. These projects build on the $600 million commitment announced in September last year to the Safe Places program, which will help around 6,000 women and children each year to escape violence. The additional funding is expected to help a further 450 women and children annually.

We are also investing a further $164.8 million to establish the new escaping violence payment. The government are committed to breaking down all the barriers to women leaving violent relationships, and we recognise that financial dependence or isolation can be one of the largest barriers for women to overcome. This two-year pilot program addresses the significant barrier to women leaving a violent relationship. The payment will provide women with $5,000 in financial support to help women escape violent relationships as they establish a home free from violence. This support includes up to $1,500 in immediate cash, with the remaining amount available for goods and services such as rental bonds, school fees, whitegoods, car rego and the like.

We are also committed to continually improving the National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, as I have said previously this afternoon. This year's budget includes a further investment in the scheme which will provide for initial and immediate action in response to the two-year review of the program. Importantly it will help ensure the scheme remains survivor focused. These measures are among 16 new women's safety initiatives that will ensure a seamless transition to a new plan to reduce violence against women and children.

The government's budget is securing Australia's recovery by ensuring women, children and vulnerable Australians have better access to the support they need. This is evident not only in the comprehensive women's security package but also in the measures considered in Appropriation Bill (No. 1) for the Social Services portfolio.

I turn now to responding to the member for Gilmore on the issues she raised on the cashless debit card. As we in the House all know, the cashless debit card is a Visa debit card and operates exactly the same as a Visa debit card. It operates throughout the payments network, the EFTPOS network, which has over one million outlets. It can be used at pubs, clubs and restaurants to buy meals and non-alcoholic drinks—it can be used at pubs, clubs and restaurants. To confirm what I have already said once today—I will reconfirm it because apparently it is having trouble sinking in on the other side—there is no plan for it to be moved to pensions; it is for a working-age payment only. I can't be clearer than that.

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