Skye Kakoschke-Moore (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Social Services, Senator Ryan. 1800RESPECT is the National Sexual Assault and Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service. Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia, RDVSA, is a national specialist not-for-profit service for women, men and children who experience sexual assault and family violence. RDVSA was funded to provide the 1800RESPECT line trauma-counselling service since the line's inception, in 2010, until last year, when the federal government redirected funding to a for-profit company.

A triage service is now in place, which sees callers directed to Medibank Health Solutions first and then to a trauma counsellor at RDVSA, requiring the victim to retell their story. MHS has reportedly predicted a doubling of profits from such call services and the government has increased funding to MHS rather than fund direct services, such as counsellors. Why is the government allowing a company to profit from a service provided to victims of rape and domestic violence?

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Kakoschke-Moore for the question. The government is committed to ensuring that women experiencing, or at risk of, domestic or family violence or sexual assault are able to access the support they need, when they need it, through 1800RESPECT. Telephone and online counselling are key elements of the service; however, the service is much wider. It also provides support to frontline workers through the digital Frontline Workers Toolkit and regular web facilities.

The government is disappointed—and I am not sure if you are referring to the campaign of the ASU, Senator Kakoschke-Moore; you did not in your question but my brief tends to allude to this—with the campaign launched by the ASU criticising the new first response triage model and the tender for the trauma specialist counselling service component. With respect to the provider and the issue of profit or the contract, I will come back to the chamber with further information.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kakoschke-Moore, a supplementary question.

Skye Kakoschke-Moore (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Victims of rape and domestic violence need support from specialist counsellors immediately, and having to retell their story inflicts more trauma on the victim. Do you concede that requiring a victim of rape and domestic violence to first speak to an operator, who could be answering calls from their own home, and then be directed to a specialist rape and domestic violence trauma counsellor causes more harm?

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These are, obviously, very technical issues and I am not going to pretend to be someone who is qualified in these particular areas.

Senator Dastyari interjecting—

Senator Dastyari, I will take your interjection. I am trying to take a very serious issue and treat it with the respect it deserves, but you can be a fool and interject if you want to continue your behaviour. On the issue, Senator Kakoschke-Moore, in 2015-16 I will note the average wait time for the 1800RESPECT services was 10.3 minutes. Under the new model the current average wait time is 45 seconds. I think that is an important difference because it can allow people to access treatment more quickly or access services, I should say, more quickly.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kakoschke-Moore, with a final supplementary question.

Skye Kakoschke-Moore (SA, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the government review the MHS triage service and will RDVSA continue to receive funding from the federal government so that this vital service can continue beyond July 2017?

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

MHS uses qualified professional and experienced counsellors who provide trauma-informed care. This means a call is answered by a qualified counsellor with a three-year tertiary qualification in a related field and two years full-time counselling experience—

Senator Wong interjecting—

I am continuing, Senator Wong, to provide information from the previous question, as is occasionally done in this chamber. In terms of the specific question you asked, about the contract, I will take advice from the minister and come back to you.