Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

This is an important motion that really goes to the heart of expert advice from frontline service providers in the family and domestic violence space; from our lead national researcher, Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, ANROWS; and from Australian Women Against Violence Alliance, AWAVA, one of the lead womens' advocacy bodies. They are begging the government to not require couples counselling where there have been recorded incidents of domestic violence. Frontline services desperately need more funding. However, to allocate funding for mandatory or even optional, but forced, couples counselling in incidences of violence in a relationship where other services are struggling for funding is against the advice of these expert bodies. It's clear that we need trained experts to be providing services, not faith based organisations to be requiring couples counselling, which is what the government's criteria provide for.