Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Services. How is the Social Services portfolio delivering on the Albanese Labor government's commitments to prioritise action on ending family, domestic and sexual violence, to create a better future for all Australians?

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Macquarie for the question. The Albanese government has not wasted a single day in delivering our plan to build a better future for all Australians, and this of course includes in the Social Services portfolio. In our first 12 months we've delivered on our commitments, laying a strong foundation for a better future for all Australians. We've already delivered for over 16,000 older Australians who have now been granted the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, who would not have been eligible previously. We've also legislated measures to support pensioners who are downsizing their homes, and we've frozen deeming rates. We've delivered the promised doubling of funding for disability representative organisations and we have begun development of the National Autism Strategy. We've improved paid parental leave and we're expanding it so that parents can access six months, and we're strengthening the social safety net by providing additional cost-of-living relief for those on the lowest incomes.

Of course, a key priority for this government has been taking action to address family, domestic and sexual violence. We have delivered the 10-year National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children in one generation, with that commitment up by a $2 billion record investment in women's safety initiatives.

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

But you haven't delivered the action plan!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the most recent budget, we've committed $159 million to extend funding for women's safety frontline services. We've delivered the national partnerships agreement that was due to cease—

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nothing's happened!

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause for a moment. Deputy Leader of the Opposition, when I say 'cease interjecting', that means cease interjecting. No more interjections.

Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying—the national partnerships agreement, which was due to cease on 30 June this year unless we intervened. This is in addition to funding 500 extra community and support workers for women and children experiencing family, domestic and sexual violence. We've made significant funding commitments to the First Nations family safety initiative. We've legislated 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave, which women are now accessing to keep them safe, and we've delivered more than $352 million over two budgets to extend, improve and expand the escaping violence payment.

Of course, this program was left in absolute shambles by the previous government, and our government has been fixing the mess. When we came to government, there was a backlog of more than 4,000 people waiting for their payment to be processed. Wait times of payments were, on average, 33 business days from the date the claim was raised to being dealt with. This was unacceptable. I'm pleased to advise the House that, as at the end of April 2023, victims-survivors are having their claims dealt with within six business days on average. This is making a real difference to people and fixing the mess that those opposite left us.

In 12 months, the Albanese government is delivering on our commitments to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Australians. (Time expired)