Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Goldstein for her question. The Albanese government recognises the pressures that all legal assistance services, including women's legal services, are under and the importance of strengthening the sector. Legal assistance is essential to ensuring access to justice and equality before the law. Since becoming Attorney-General, and while in opposition, I've visited many women's legal services across the country. I know how hard they work. I know the importance of the work they do. For women fleeing violence, women's legal services provide advice and support to keep them from harm.

The National Legal Assistance Partnership between the Commonwealth and the states and territories is a five-year agreement to fund vital legal assistance services, including women's legal services, for the most vulnerable Australians and expires on 30 June 2025. Dr Warren Mundy was commissioned—jointly, by the Commonwealth with the states and territories—to review the current agreement and to make recommendations to inform the new agreement. Dr Mundy's review has now been publicly released. It will help inform the negotiations for the new partnership agreement, which is due to commence on 1 July 2025. Negotiations with the states and territories will continue over coming months to shape the new agreement.

I would note that $44.1 million of urgent funding was announced in the budget for the legal assistance sector. The government understands absolutely that this will not fix all of the issues currently facing the sector, but it is an acknowledgement of the resource and workforce issues. It's intended to directly assist with wage parity issues that have beset the sector for some time. This urgent funding will relieve some of the pressures until the commencement of the next partnership agreement.

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