Kerrynne Liddle (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since the last sitting of parliament, nine Australians have died at the hands of someone close to them through family violence. They have been shot, rammed, stabbed and bludgeoned. There remain victims who are yet to seek help with terrible, ongoing consequences. Those opposite promised Australians 500 frontline community service workers for the sector. More than one year on, not a single one has joined the workforce. In Central Australia, the $250 million promised is flowing, but tell us to which services. Why not to the women's shelter in Alice Springs, where over 90 per cent of clients are Indigenous? Is it because they're not Aboriginal community controlled? I'll give you a dose of common sense. Aboriginal community control is not a primary concern of those fleeing for their lives. They don't care about that. They want to know there's a place to shelter from harm and that the people there to assist them are equipped to deal with that.

What are you doing to assure us that the money is going to be spent wisely, practically and for maximum benefit? The monthly crime figures show how dire it is. South Australian statistics show that family violence has risen by 10 per cent in the rolling year to May. Even more heart-wrenching is the fact that there has been a 26 per cent increase in family violence in the Territory. There were 5,636 domestic violence incidents in the NT in the year from 1 June 2021, and there were 7,112 in the period from 1 June 2022 to 31 May this year. That's 1,476 incidents more than in the previous period. Haste, common sense, transparency and accountability start to change this trajectory, so let's see it.

On a better note, it's great to see the 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave. We've all been supportive of that.