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

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Wong. The funding announced after Friday's National Cabinet meeting for frontline family, domestic and sexual violence services is still only 78 per cent of the $1 billion each year that the women's safety sector needs in order to help everyone who asks. This underfunding will still leave one in four people at risk of being turned away when they reach out for help to flee violence. Nuclear submarines get $368 billion over a decade. Property investors get $159 billion over a decade. Fossil fuels get $11 billion each year. Why are one in four women being denied the support that full federal funding of frontline services could deliver?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We all want violence against women and children to stop, and certainly I can speak for the Labor government—and I hope everyone in this chamber—in saying that we won't be satisfied until it does. I would say to you, Senator, that this was an historic agreement between the federal government and all states and territories at National Cabinet—a new $4.7 billion package for gender based violence and for frontline legal services. There were a number of other facts in your assertion which are the Greens' constant refrain around tax measures. I don't accept the figures that you put. I know that's part of your political campaign, but I don't accept the figures. I would say that we have seen the Prime Minister, ably assisted by Minister Gallagher, Minister Rishworth, the Attorney-General and many others, put together a package that deals with the funding needs and the needs that have been identified by so many across the community for this National Cabinet.

The focus is on action to support the critical work of frontline services, with a focus also on targeting perpetrators to stop violence from escalating; on breaking the cycle of violence, with a stronger focus on children and young people who have experienced violence; and on legal support associated with women's safety. This is on top of—and I would just make this point to the chamber—the already record funding that the Commonwealth has committed for women's safety. The government have been working on this since we were first elected. Friday's actions are another step to accelerate change, but they will not be our last.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, first supplementary?

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

First Nations women are 33 times more likely to be hospitalised as a result of family, domestic and sexual violence, yet the only new money for First Nations women from Friday is through family violence prevention legal services. We need non-legal frontline services funded as well. Will the government commit to funding culturally safe First Nations community led wraparound services?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for raising this very important issue, and I have some information here which I will add to if I'm able to or if it's required. I understand that the National Cabinet committed to a significant funding boost to family violence prevention legal services to help them meet growing demand and assist more First Nations women and children. There is also a focus on First Nations children and young people in our $80 million boost to healing recovery services, and there is work underway in partnership with First Nations communities to develop the Standalone First Nations National Plan for family safety, which I know I have heard Senator Gallagher speak about here in this chamber previously. So I think all of us would share the priority that is explicit in your question about why more needs to be done in partnership with First Nations women to confront family violence in First Nations communities. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, second supplementary?

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

The National Cabinet announcement also failed to address the need for action on alcohol and gambling. Gambling—the financial pressure it causes—can exacerbate the risk of family violence and violence against women and children. When will the government ban TV and online gambling ads?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Obviously, we have over the last couple of years done a lot, under the guidance of Minister Rowland, to tackle gambling harm. We also recognise that the status quo regarding the saturation of gambling advertising is untenable. As Minister Rowland has previously said, she is undertaking consultations with stakeholders on a proposed approach.

Meanwhile, in our work to date, we have delivered the most significant online wagering harm reduction initiatives in the past decade, including mandatory customer ID verification, banning the use of credit cards for online wagering and forcing online wagering companies to send monthly activity statements outlining wins and losses. We've introduced new evidence based taglines in wagering advertising; provided direct funding assistance for specialist financial counselling to support people affected by problem gambling; launched BetStop, the National Self-exclusion Register, for problem gamblers; and many more other— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We've moved on.