Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Hansard source

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting Louise Lamont and Jay Wright from Phoenix Support & Advocacy Service, a small but extraordinary WA organisation that has supported adult survivors of child sex abuse for over 40 years. Phoenix was the first non-government service of its kind in WA. Today its trauma informed counsellors create safe, client led spaces for survivors to rebuild their lives, whether face-to-face or online. In the last financial year, 100 per cent of clients surveyed said they felt safe, welcome and supported, and would recommend Phoenix's services to others.

Behind those figures lies a national crisis. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study found that one in four Australians—one in three girls and one in five boys—have been sexually abused as children. In WA alone, that equates to over 178,000 children under 19 and over half a million adults who are survivors of historic abuse.

Despite limited funding, short-term contracts and reduced service days, Phoenix continues to punch above its weight, with a growing waitlist for trauma informed counselling. Its advocacy is equally vital, supporting 11 other child sexual abuse therapeutic and Indigenous healing services across WA, while hosting roundtables and trainings and leading national conversations.

This week, Phoenix hosted British psychologist and bestselling author Dr Jessica Taylor for an event on creating compassionate communities. I was in Canberra, but my staff attended and shared how powerfully it underscored Phoenix's impact. The federal government must do more to ensure services like Phoenix are properly funded if we're serious about protecting children.