Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question today is for the Office for Women under the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The 2023-24 federal budget contained record investment to end violence against women, and there is no doubt the additional $589.3 million invested in women's safety was welcome. That funding contributes to a total commitment of $1.3 billion over six years to support the implementation of the first phase of the new National plan to end violence against women and children 2022-2032. But, sadly, even at that level, this funding barely touches the sides of what is required to truly enable those facing violence to escape without ending up in poverty. As a parliament we cannot simply measure our efforts by what our government is prepared to spend. Rather, all of us in this place must hold ourselves accountable for genuine progress to end violence against women.

In 2022, 56 women lost their lives to domestic violence, and at least 16 more have lost their lives in the past six months alone. That's nearly one woman a week for the past 18 months. In this context, then, when the sector is asking for $1 billion a year, we simply cannot afford to just take what is given and we must continue to challenge ourselves, our society and our government to do better.

The extension of the escaping violence payment for a further three years is neither a new initiative nor an improvement of an existing one. As such, it is problematic for this to be claimed as a win. The rollout has been rough, with women waiting up to three months for the payment and with poor service delivery leaving many in limbo. This is then compounded by the fact that each woman accessing this payment is only entitled to a maximum of $5,000, which includes a maximum of $1,500 in cash to help establish a new home. This is $1,500 to pay for the bond on a property, to connect your internet and your essential services, to connect your power and to cover any other cash costs associated with leaving in a market where affordable housing is simply unavailable. The value of this payment has not kept pace with the cost of living, and by simply extending it we risk providing a cover that ultimately does nothing more than create greater distress.

To be trapped and to then think you see an exit, only to realise it's a pathway to another form of abuse through financial poverty, is a devastating experience. Family and domestic violence is the main reason women and children leave their homes in Australia, and it's the leading cause of homelessness for women in our country. While this budget includes $100 million over five years to extend the Safe Places program, which provides emergency accommodation for women and children escaping violence, services in North Sydney are struggling to even find accommodation they can rent to expand the shelters and help women. In the last 12 months alone, rental prices across North Sydney have skyrocketed, with the average weekly rent for a unit now $675, while it's $1,100 for a home. In this context, $100 million over five years will struggle to provide meaningful support for the thousands of women and children who need it.

In addition to the physical hurdles associated with leaving, there are often the additional hurdles that are intrinsic to navigating the justice system. While this budget provides funding for the national expansion of the Lighthouse project, which was a pilot initiative run in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia that used a confidential risk-screening questionnaire to triage family parenting matters to try to enable women and children to recover financially and move on with their lives, the numbers don't lie. Seven out of 10 women leave their assets behind when they finally make a break, and 90 per cent struggle to obtain a property settlement. I have heard firsthand from those who have experienced all sorts of abuse that the abuse does not end with the relationship. Violent partners use the family court system to continue to destabilise the lives of the ones who have left, compelling them to commit financially to court appearances and proceedings.

The National plan to end violence against women and children underpins the efforts of all Australian governments to end violence against women and children in one generation. It breaks my heart to say that, despite the record investment in this last budget, we are nowhere near the level of change that needs to be achieved to reach this lofty goal. I would like to ask the minister, then, why the government continues to offer such meagre investment in one of the most pressing issues facing our society.

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