Trevor Evans (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Over recent weeks I have been able to catch up again with many of the community legal centres around Brisbane. Thanks to the Women's Legal Service, the Youth Advocacy Centre, Basic Rights Queensland and the LGBTI Legal Service, who I ran into yesterday at the Brisbane fair for International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

I am proud that in this budget the government is providing an extra $55 million in additional funding to our community legal centres over the next three years. The new money is for frontline services. It will be delivered via state governments, and it is proudly intended to prioritise victims of family and domestic violence. It is a further step that builds on the Turnbull government's other historic commitments to protect Australians from violence, including the $100 million for the Women's Safety Package and the $100 million Third Action Plan.

This commitment should help support many community legal centres around Brisbane, such as the ones I just mentioned in passing, and also the Brisbane Family Law Centre in Albion, the Legal Advisory Service in Fortitude Valley and North Brisbane Legal Services. I welcome this funding announcement, I congratulate the Attorney-General, George Brandis, for his work in this area and I look forward to continuing to work productively with all of the community legal centres around Brisbane for the benefit and the welfare of all of the people of Brisbane.