Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Warringah for bringing this motion. We have heard many, many fine words, with the member for Chisholm sharing some horrid stories just now. There has been genuine sentiment being expressed by the many speakers but we need action. Women are being murdered at almost twice the rate of last year, now four a week. Just recently, the Prime Minister expressed his condolences, again, with very fine words to the families of five women murdered at Bondi Junction. Again recently, the Attorney-General said that, to create lasting change, women could not themselves be expected to solve the violence against them. But the government then released a budget that does nothing to address the epidemic of men's violence against women. That is a betrayal of women.

One in four women have experienced violence since the age of 15. One in two women have experienced sexual harassment. This is absolutely an epidemic. Thirty-one women have been murdered this year. I'm sorry but since I drafted the speech I have had to update that number twice. The government has nothing new to offer those critical front-line services in this war.

The Greens have amplified the women's safety sector's call for $1 billion each year for front-line services for over two years, and we will continue to do so until the sector is funded to do the vital work that it does. This budget was the time for the government to fully fund front-line domestic family and sexual support services but there wasn't a single cent of new money for front-line support services, no new money for prevention programs to stop the epidemic of violence against women, no meaningful increase for JobSeeker, which would help women have the financial security to leave violence, nor was any actual new money for crisis housing.

But there was enough money for wealthy property investors—$174.5 billion—enough money for fossil fuel subsidies—$50 billion. The government has offered almost nothing for women's safety, and the more Labor ignores this national crisis, the more women will die; it's about priorities. What Labor did announce was $925 million to extend and marginally expand the existing leaving violence payment, literally a recycled Morrison government program, one that has been plagued with problems, delays and administration issues. If the Labor government was actually really serious about women's safety, it would commit to an immediate boost of $1 billion in annual funding for front-line services for domestic, family and sexual violence including crisis services, refuges and emergency housing. These are absolutely essential.

If they were actually serious they would commit to an immediate increase in funding to Legal Aid by $484 million and to Women's Legal Services Australia by $25 million to allow more women to access the legal help they desperately need. If they were serious, Labor would commit to establishing a national database to record all those who are convicted of family, domestic and sexual violence offences. And they would fund community education and prevention work consistently, including respectful relationships education, to bring about the culture change that we so desperately need in Australia.

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