Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Through the National Partnership Agreement, the Commonwealth committed $1.6 billion to legal assistance over the next five years. Recently, an additional $15 million has been committed through the Women's Safety package. Legal assistance is not solely a Commonwealth responsibility. Commonwealth funding for Community Legal Centres reduces in 2017-18 because the lapsing funding provided by the former Labor government ends, as always intended and understood, on 30 June 2017 and the delayed effect of the 2013 MYEFO savings measure with a two-year funding reinstatement ending on 30 June 2017. This equates to $18 million or 1.5 per cent of overall funding.

Question agreed to.