Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. When I asked the minister about the budget measure for ongoing funding for 1800RESPECT the minister insisted: 'It is not a reannouncement; it is a new announcement.' She promised to return to the Senate that day to correct the record if she was wrong. When I followed up during estimates, the minister asked to correct the record and said, 'I used the word "announcement"; I should have used the word "measure."' Can the minister confirm that in her answer provided on 7 October she was wrong and that the budget measure was in fact a reannouncement? Why did the minister fail to return to the Senate to correct the record at her earliest opportunity?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McAllister, and thank you very much for the opportunity that you provided me during estimates to re-establish, or to advise you, that I did in fact refer to a measure in the budget by an incorrect term. I said 'announcement'; correctly, it was a measure. I am quite happy to accept the fact that it was a measure. In fact, the measures that were in the budget—there were two measures that were contained in the budget that were first-time funded in the budget—relate to the funding for 1800RESPECT and also an extension of the Help is Here campaign. Senator McAllister, I am quite happy to stand here and acknowledge that the statement that I provided to you in the budget estimates that we were in together a couple of weeks ago—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, on a point of order?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order goes to relevance, Mr President. I did ask the minister to explain why she failed to return to the Senate to correct the record. It is an important question, given the protocols of this place.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, that was part of your question. There are parts of your question I believe the minister is being directly relevant to by addressing the statement and the correction, and so I call her to continue.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, I am quite happy to say that the comments I made to you in response to some questions that you asked me during estimates I am happy to make again here. In response to a question from you in this place I incorrectly referred to a measure as an announcement. It was a new measure in the budget. It had previously been announced as a budget measure. It is not unusual for budget measures that you preannounce them. In fact, there are many, many budget measures that are preannounced, and you would have done the same thing when you were in government. I accept I made that statement to you. I did use the word 'announcement' when I should have used the word 'measure', but there were new measures in the budget. There were measures, as I said, in relation to the 1800RESPECT number, which is a tremendously important hotline that women who are the victims of domestic violence can contact to find out where they may be able to receive help should they find themselves the victims of domestic violence. Equally, the Help is Here campaign provides women with similar advice.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Ruston. Senator McAllister, a supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last month I asked the minister a question on notice about expenditure on domestic violence programs. The minister transferred the question to the Minister for Women, who answered this week by saying the question should have been asked of this minister. Who is right, the Minister for Families and Social Services or the Minister for Women? Why did the minister refuse to answer a question about expenditure in her portfolio?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My understanding is that the question you have asked is best responded to by my agency, and my understanding is that that question has been referred to my agency. If the agency mistakenly referred it to the wrong minister, I regret that. However, I will take responsibility for answering the question. It was a very detailed question in relation to expenditure, and I confirm here, Senator McAllister, that I will provide you, in the most timely manner, with a quick response to the question that you have asked in relation to budget expenditure. It is a very detailed question that you have asked, but I will undertake to provide you with the details of the answer to your question at the soonest possible time.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McAllister, a final supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why is the minister, who is a member of the ERC, unable to accurately answer questions about expenditure in her portfolio?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not quite sure what the senator is referring to. I have not refused to answer questions. What I said, Senator McAllister, is that the question you asked in relation to this expenditure was a very detailed question. I have committed to undertake to provide you with that information.

What I can tell you about expenditure is that this government made the single largest-ever investment in supporting women in domestic violence, through the $340 million that we put behind the fourth action plan for protecting Australia's women and their children from family and domestic violence. In addition to that, in an immediate response to the COVID pandemic, when we were concerned we would see an uptick in domestic violence against women and their children, we made an announcement of $150 million. We provided almost all of that money directly to frontline services provided by the states and territories so that they were in a position to immediately respond to an increase in domestic violence, should it occur within their jurisdiction. I can assure you: I know about expenditure in domestic violence, because this government— (Time expired)