Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) specialist women-only services play a crucial role in providing specialist services for victims of domestic and family violence,

(ii) services to victims of domestic and family violence and their children should be provided by specialist services and not general homelessness shelters,

(iii) women-only refuges in New South Wales such as the Muslim Women's Support Centre and Immigrant Women's Speakout offer unique culturally sensitive in-house and outreach services for ethnic women, and

(iv) more than 25 women-only refuges in New South Wales have had their funding cut by the New South Wales State Government; and

(b) calls on state and federal governments to ensure funding is retained for specialist women-only services to allow them to offer independent, high quality and culturally appropriate services.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the key priorities of the Abbott government is the reduction of violence against women and their children. In November 2013, the Prime Minister announced $1 million in funding for White Ribbon Australia to work with CALD and Indigenous communities, including new and emerging communities. The government is committed to implementing the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022 and ensuring its programs are properly resourced and effective. On 27 June 2014, the government launched the second action plan under the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children 2010-2022, a significant step in continuing the work in reducing violence against women and their children in Australia. The second action plan contains 26 practical actions that all Australian governments agree are critical at this stage for the national plan to improving women's safety. The Commonwealth is providing more than $100 million over the next four years to support the second action plan. The coalition's policies will focus on delivering greater personal safety to all Australian women. We will ensure that domestic violence is tackled and does not become intergenerational.

Question agreed to.