Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister representing the Attorney-General, Senator Watt. A recent independent review recommended the government provide an extra $459 million a year to the legal assistance sector and $215 million of emergency funding for this year alone to ensure frontline services can keep up with urgent needs in the community. Two weeks ago, your government committed a pitiful $100 million a year after indexation to help these services meet increasing demand. This is less than one-quarter of what is needed, Minister. As more and more First Peoples, women, children and vulnerable people are left without help, why has the government chosen to choke frontline services of the funding they need?