Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women's Safety, Senator Ruston. How is the Liberal-National government boosting the capacity of frontline domestic violence services?

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

I thank Senator Chandler for that question. This government, the Morrison-Joyce government, is absolutely focused on making sure that we have an Australia that is free of violence. That's why in the budget this year, the 2021-22 budget, we committed the largest amount of money—a $1.1 billion package—to ensure women's safety.

This is an historic package. It is a down payment to make sure that we move towards zero violence in this country. But we know every Australian has a role to play in ending violence, and that's why we have committed a $260 million package to work with the states and territories to make sure that they are able to provide frontline services, making sure that they are providing opportunities for their frontline workers and also developing and increasing capacity in the family and domestic violence sector.

In providing this commitment as a partnership to the states and territories, this $260 million partnership over two years—that's a lot more than $153 million over four years—ensures money goes to where it needs to be on the ground. This commitment builds on the $130 million that we provided states and territories to get them through the COVID pandemic this year and enabled them to deal with the unfortunate increase in demand that we saw during the COVID pandemic. This has supported 450 frontline operations and employed hundreds of new people into this sector, to make sure that women and children across the country are receiving the services they need.

We know that the next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children must be more than words, which is why I was disappointed this morning to hear Senator McAllister claim that the government had shown little energy or interest in this issue. That is blatantly untrue. I give you my commitment that this government will work and continue to work in a non-partisan way to make sure that we end all forms of violence against women and their children in this country. I urge you to do the same.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, a supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for her response. Minister, how will the government ensure accountability under the next national plan?

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

The next national plan will be an ambitious blueprint to end family, domestic and sexual violence and it must be more than words. That is why we are investing $22.4 million over the next five years to establish a Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission. The commission will oversee the implementation of the next national plan, with a responsibility for monitoring and reporting on accountability and making sure that we are measuring and evaluating the outcomes that we seek in this space. It will support the government in developing and fostering relationships across the whole sector, between governments of all levels—state and territory, local governments. And making sure that we are working with the sector—but most importantly that we are working with victims-survivors so that we can understand exactly what they need. It is vital to ensure that the next national plan delivers real and tangible outcomes on the ground for women and children in Australia who are the victims of this violence.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, a second supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how is the government ensuring the next National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children is inclusive for all victims of family, domestic and sexual violence?

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

We have embarked, over the last 18 months through the COVID pandemic, on a multilayered consultation approach to ensure all Australians have the opportunity to participate and be involved in ending violence against women and their children—in fact, ending gender based violence across Australia.

There was an inquiry conducted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs which received over 300 submissions into their inquiry. We have conducted two public surveys, workshops and interviews with stakeholders and established the National Plan Advisory Group as well as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory group. The National Summit on Women's Safety brought together—as a culmination all of these forms of consultation—representatives of over 200 organisations so that they could take part in the discussions to inform the next national plan. Most importantly, victims-survivors were invited to participate in this because their voices must be front and centre of the next national plan.