Claire Moore Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women
2:51 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. On 1 July 2017 the Attorney-General's 30 per cent cuts to community legal services will come into effect. Does the Prime Minister support the cuts, which will see the Castan legal centre—and I know you know that centre very well, Senator Brandis—have to close its child support unit?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I know you would not deliberately mislead the Senate, Senator Moore, but I assume you are referring to the Dreyfus cuts, which were announced in the 2013 budget.
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
Rubbish.
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
In the 2013 budget, as a result of a decision made by—
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
How long have you been in government for?
Stephen Parry President
Order on my left. A question has been asked. The Attorney-General has the—
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
What have you been doing as Attorney for four years?
Stephen Parry President
Order! The Attorney-General needs to be heard in silence.
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I assume you are referring to the cuts decided upon by Mr Dreyfus when he was Attorney-General in the 2013 budget, which were engineered to expire on 30 June 2017. This is not a forward estimates estimate; this was a terminating program designed to finish on 30 June 2017. So, whatever reductions there may be on 30 June 2017 are in large part due to decisions made by your government, a government of which you were a member, which were designed to terminate then.
Claire Moore Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women
2:53 pm
The Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre outreach service in the Tweed region is facing closure as a result of these cuts, which are happening under your watch, Attorney-General. What advice does the Prime Minister have for Tweed residents unable to find legal assistance?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
My advice to those people is to speak to Mr Dreyfus and inquire of him why, when he established a program, he engineered it to terminate four years later. If he was of the view that there was a need for continuing funding, he could have asked for it, but he did not. He engineered a program beyond the life of the government of which he was a member to terminate at 30 June 2017. I know that community legal centres are suffering as a result of the Dreyfus funding cliff, and they ought to take the matter up with the person who engineered that funding cliff.
Claire Moore Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women
2:54 pm
Attorney, as a result of the cuts, the Hobart Women's Legal Service will see a $200,000 reduction in funding from the Commonwealth. Will the Prime Minister, or indeed the Attorney-General, intervene and reverse these cuts to ensure women in Hobart get access to the assistance they need? And maybe get them to have a chat to you, Attorney.
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
Senator Moore, I will be pointing out to them that the cuts that they are suffering are as a result of decisions made by Mr Dreyfus. Nevertheless, I will also be pointing out to them that under this government, under the national partnership agreement which commenced on 1 July 2015—
Claire Moore Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women
In direct relevance to the specific question. I understand the Attorney is giving background, but the particular question was: will the Prime Minister intervene? Knowing the background—intervene.
Stephen Parry President
Thank you, Senator Moore. I will remind the Attorney-General of the question.
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
Senator, what I am telling you is what arrangements this government has already made to provide for the needs of the kind you have identified. Under the national partnership agreement negotiated by this government, commencing on 1 July 2015 the Commonwealth is providing $1.6 billion to community legal centres, legal aid commissions and Indigenous legal assistance providers, and as well, under the packages announced for women's safety by my colleague Michaelia Cash, we are increasing that by another $16.5 million. (Time expired)