4 years ago
FAMILY VIOLENCE ORGANISATIONS WAIT SIX MONTHS FOR EMERGENCY COVID-19 FUNDS
Julie Collins MP
Yesterday the Morrison Government finally announced how it would allocate the remaining more than half of the ‘initial’ $150 million in emergency funding it promised in March to respond to the increase in family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, the Prime Minister announced some ‘initial’ extra funding for the prevention of violence against women and their children before turning around and deciding that only half would be made available immediately.
It has taken the Morrison Government almost another six months to allocate the remainder of these ‘initial’ funds to the states on a per capita basis.
The Government should have made this decision in March.
This money could have placed more beds in refuges, funded more perpetrator interventions, and provided more counselling for victim-survivors. Instead the Morrison Government sat on it for almost six months.
The Government’s delay has hurt front line service providers’ ability to respond to the surge in family and domestic violence.
Service providers and those unable to access timely services deserve better from the Morrison Government.
In March, the Prime Minister announced some ‘initial’ extra funding for the prevention of violence against women and their children before turning around and deciding that only half would be made available immediately.
It has taken the Morrison Government almost another six months to allocate the remainder of these ‘initial’ funds to the states on a per capita basis.
The Government should have made this decision in March.
This money could have placed more beds in refuges, funded more perpetrator interventions, and provided more counselling for victim-survivors. Instead the Morrison Government sat on it for almost six months.
The Government’s delay has hurt front line service providers’ ability to respond to the surge in family and domestic violence.
Service providers and those unable to access timely services deserve better from the Morrison Government.