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

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 611 standing in my name.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) That the Federal Government appointed Ms Rosie Batty Australian of the Year for 2015,

(ii) Ms Batty's call for investment into preventing violence against women and for long term secure funding for specialist women's domestic violence services,

(iii) the Inaugural Asia Pacific conference on Gendered Violence and Violations currently taking place in Sydney,

(iv) the Federal Government's $43 million cuts to the legal assistance sector, including to community legal centres, legal aid, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services announced in December 2013,

(v) the Federal Government's $44 million cut to capital expenditure on new shelters and emergency accommodation under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness announced in the May Budget,

(vi) that funding for domestic violence services under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness is set to expire on 1 July 2015,

(vii) the Federal Government's $21 million cut to housing and homelessness peak bodies announced 3 days before Christmas, in December 2014, and

(viii) ongoing funding uncertainty for Family Violence Prevention Legal Services; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to reverse funding cuts to domestic violence services and guarantee funding certainty.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Violence against women and children is a scourge on our society. It will not be tolerated and we must all work together to eliminate it. The government is showing tremendous leadership in this area, most recently demonstrated by the Prime Minister's announcement that the 2015 Council of Australian Governments agenda will address the issue of violence against women at a national level. In terms of the alleged funding cuts, there have been no funding cuts to the national plan. The federal government is committed to the implementation of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children.

Funding for services under the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services will be determined shortly. Through our legal assistance programs we are focused on making sure the $1.3 billion we have invested over the next four years for legal assistance is targeted to front-line legal services.

The Greens attempt to propagate a campaign of misinformation and fear is disappointing, particularly given their flagrant disregard for fiscal restraint and their pivotal role in ensuring all Australians have been saddled with chronic debt.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 611, as amended, be agreed to.

Question agreed to.