Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a question for the Treasurer. Too many women struggle to navigate the legal system that's meant to protect them when they fear violence. Women's legal services turn away more than 50,000 women a year due to resource constraints and, with no new funding in the budget, are now having to reduce services. Why didn't the budget prioritise increasing these services, and will the Treasurer increase funding and certainty for committee legal services so women can get the support they need when in fear of violence?

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks to the member for Curtin for her question. There was some new money in the budget for legal services, working closely with the Attorney-General, but I do acknowledge that we have to finalise the agreement in order to provide some more funding and make sure that for these really crucial legal services that we're all familiar with in all of our communities, particularly for women at risk, that funding can continue. I've had a number of meetings with the Attorney-General. We are very conscious of the pressures on these legal centres and these legal services. We provided a small amount of funding to keep things going for the time being, but we do know that more is needed, and we are committed to a new agreement that provides more funding.