Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) the additional public money for women's legal services in the Budget is very welcome,

(ii) other legal assistance services like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and community legal centres did not receive extra resourcing in the Budget,

(iii) given the alarming imprisonment rates of First Nations people, it is more important than ever for legal assistance services, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, to be properly resourced and accessible across the country,

(iv) all legal assistance services are under incredible pressure and the demand for their services does not meet the public funding provided to them, and

(v) legal assistance services, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and legal sector peak bodies were excluded from the Budget lock up; and

(b) calls on the Commonwealth Government to properly resource legal assistance services, including family violence prevention legal services, and move to long- term funding agreements to ensure funding certainty for these critical services.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Morrison government is committed to supporting access to justice. We are providing more than $2.3 billion over five years for legal assistance services across Australia through the National Legal Assistance Partnership, including approximately $350 million in additional funding following the 2021-22 budget. The budget also provided $26 million over four years to improve the quality, capability and cultural safety of Indigenous and non-Indigenous family violence services, including for the Family Violence Prevention Legal Services.

Question agreed to.