Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Just now at the National Press Club we heard Ms Grace Tame and Ms Brittany Higgins deliver powerful calls for change. Will the Prime Minister act on their call by taking real action, including by adopting firm targets in the national plan to end violence against women and children?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the question from the Leader of the Opposition and commend all of those who've worked so hard to ensure that issues, particularly those regarding ending domestic violence and violence against women—and children, for that matter—across this country, receive such national prominence. And that's what the national plan is all about. The national plan to end violence against women is a bipartisan, multijurisdictional commitment that was begun by Prime Minister Gillard. At that time, it was supported by the coalition in opposition, and it has been most heavily supported by the coalition in government.

Some $2 billion was invested when the plan was first announced. It was combined with funding of that order. Indeed, there weren't initially federal commitments to the funding of the national plan because the national plan was principally about dealing with issues that were being addressed by the states and the territories. Now, that continues, but in the most recent budget some $1.1 billion was invested as a down payment, with further resources to be committed to that plan to ensure that we do everything we possibly can to support the very important cause of ending violence against women. So we will be working continually through that cooperative, bipartisan—multipartisan, I should say—process and supporting that national plan in a way that no previous government has, and we will continue those investments, because they are getting those results.

Since 2013, $2 billion has already been committed to and spent on women's safety by this government, and $1.1 billion has been committed to women's safety in the package that was handed down by the Treasurer in the budget for 2021-22. Most recently, to support those programs, there is also $165 million in escaping-violence payments. There is $73 million for the Safe Places Emergency Accommodation Program. That's assisting some 6,340 people escaping family and domestic violence each year. There's $22 million to establish a domestic violence and sexual violence commission to oversee the implementation of the next national plan to end violence against women and children. There's $26.2 million to create a safe space online for women and children. This includes funding for the eSafety Commissioner to bolster its team investigating cyberbullying and harmful online content. Since 2016 there has been $73 million for multiple prevention campaigns, including Stop it at the Start and Help is Here.

So, yes, we will join all others in this place in ensuring that we have targets that are set out collectively and agreed together and, more important than that, in putting in place funding, as we have demonstrated as a government since we were first elected and even in our most recent budget, to ensure the federal government is doing its part to end violence against women and children in this country.