Labor welcomes the decision of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting to hold a national family violence summit.

In March, Labor called on then Prime Minister Abbott to hold a National Crisis Summit, bringing together Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, law enforcement, service providers, experts and survivors, to urgently agree and implement judicial and service reforms to tackle family violence.

Today’s COAG meeting has indicated that this summit is intended to be held in late 2016 – however Labor believes that this is a crisis which needs action now, and we stand ready to work with the Government in a bipartisan way to make it happen sooner.

Labor has already announced a package of interim measures which will deliver more than $70 million over three years in targeted funding to ensure those suffering from family violence can access the support they need as well as measures to prevent violence from occurring.

Last month we announced a Shorten Labor Government will make domestic and family violence leave a universal workplace right, to further support those suffering family and domestic violence in our community, by providing for five days paid domestic and family violence leave in the National Employment Standards (NES)

Labor will commit almost $50 million to frontline legal services, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services to ensure women suffering from family violence get the right legal support. The aim of this is to ensure, at the very least, that women have access to appropriate legal services, so they do not run the gauntlet in our courts on their own.

We will also make an initial investment of $15 million in Safe at Home grants to help people affected by family violence stay safe in their own home. No woman driven from her home by family violence should be paying the perpetrator’s mortgage.

In addition, Labor will invest $8 million in perpetrator mapping to look at the interactions across family violence, law enforcement, justice, child protection and related systems to help identify opportunities to prevent violence through information sharing.

Family violence is one of the most distressing and clear illustrations of the continuing unequal treatment of women in our society.
 
As long as family violence affects any one of us, it affects all of us.

It is time for Australia to act.

*If you cover this story, or any story regarding violence against women and children, please include the following tagline:
“If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000”

FRIDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2015

MEDIA CONTACT: LEADER’S OFFICE MEDIA UNIT – 02 6277 4053