Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I want to say that we have been talking a lot in our community about domestic violence in recent times, and quite often people ask, 'Well, why didn't she leave?', when in fact they should be asking, 'Where would she go?' So today I want to take the opportunity to thank the services that work in my local area to support the women and children leaving violence. I want to thank all of them but I particularly want to call out some of the services I have been visiting locally. Recently, I went to a fundraiser for Lou's Place, which does amazing work in Sydney, including providing home-cooked meals, shower and laundry facilities, clothing and toiletries, critical frontline support and therapeutic programs to support women. I went to their fundraiser. They're also doing great work recycling fashion because of that fundraiser.

I went to the Elsie Refuge, celebrating 50 years of women's refuges in Australian, recognising the incredible work of the Elsie Women's Refuge, set up by a bunch of women who took over two houses in the Glebe estate 50 years ago and continue to make the case for better support for women and children leaving violence.

I joined the Walk for WAGEC, the women's and girls emergency centre in Sydney, to raise critical funds for their marvellous service, and every year they do better in their fundraising. Social services minister Amanda Rishworth and I visited WAGEC a few months ago as well, one of many visits I've made to see the marvellous work they do. Just recently, I went to the St Vincent de Paul distribution centre in Redfern with Minister Rishworth, looking at the support they give our local community. I met not only their amazing staff and volunteers but also many of the clients, who showed the most incredible resilience in telling their stories of leaving behind violence.

I met again with the Salvation Army in Waterloo, who do so much as well to help women and children who are fleeing domestic and family violence. Of course, I'm doing what I can to support the Salvation Army in their plans for upgrades to their premises. They've got lots of premises across Sydney and they really want to offer a better quality of accommodation and support to the people who visit their places like the Samaritan House. I've been to the Wayside Chapel recently. Wayside Chapel has just begun to do more amazing work with women who are leaving violence.

Julie Collins and I recently went to 2010 that supports LGBTIQA+ young people and I am very proud of the fact we are investing $91.7 million as a government in youth homelessness services. I've met recently with the people from the Foyer Foundation in my electorate, again, who support young people who are often leaving violent situations.

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