Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women, Senator Gallagher. Forty-three women have been killed by family and domestic violence this year alone. We continue to be in an epidemic of violence against women. We know that violence against women cuts against all backgrounds and disproportionately affects First Nations women and women with disabilities. Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of UN Women's 16 Days of Activism. We welcome the government's additional funding for 1800RESPECT, which has experienced a 3,000 per cent rise in calls. But, as demand continues to grow, it's simply not enough, and it's frontline services that need more funding too. Women are still turned away when they seek help, and underfunding of specialist sexual assault services means that, when 1800RESPECT refers callers to them, they can't provide support. When will the government increase funding to frontline family and domestic support services, to specialist sexual violence services and to comprehensive prevention work across the community?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Waters for the question and also for the role she plays in the women's policy space more generally but particularly in the area of women's safety. I would say to Senator Waters: we are coming at this issue of how to end violence against women and children with every single available lever across government. Yes, it is about frontline services, and we have invested heavily in that space—over $4 billion in programs for ending gender based violence, including support for frontline services and, in addition to that, $3.9 billion in legal services, including women's legal services and Aboriginal legal services, to make sure that they're on solid and sustainable footing, with funding into the future.

We are also coming at this from housing policy; from sharing and valuing care policy—that is, how we deliver care; and from driving women's economic equality policy, ensuring that women's wages are not suppressed, that they are getting paid properly for the work they're doing and that they have skills and training opportunities on par with men. Our women's health package ensures women aren't paying out-of-pocket and are able to access services in the health system in ways they haven't been able to before. Of course, there is also the work that we're trying to do around women's leadership and representation and diversity across the government, using all of the levers available to us. We know, in driving gender equality, which is at the heart of violence against women and children, we have to come at this from every possible angle, and that is exactly what we are doing.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, first supplementary?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission has recently recommended a national funding mapping framework to track unmet need in the family and domestic violence service provision sector and to identify funding priorities. When will that framework be developed, and why has it taken so long for the government to establish a clear picture of unmet need in this sector?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't accept that assertion at the end. I would say that, since coming to government, since 2022, we have put women's policy and driving gender equality—which, as I said, is at the heart of women's safety and ensuring women's safety—at the centre of the government. It is at the centre of everything we think about. In relation to the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission, we're having the women's ministerial meeting on Friday, because it is essential. I agree with Senator Waters that we need to ensure, where we are providing investments across the Commonwealth, states and territories, we are doing so in a strategic and coordinated way. The commissioner will speak, I think, at the women's ministerial meeting on Friday. That work continues. Of the investments that are being made, ensuring that we are getting the most out of those opportunities is essential. But, as I said, we can't sit in isolation from everything we're doing across government Ent.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, second supplementary?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know that a key barrier to women and children leaving violent households is that they have nowhere to go and they don't have financial security. When will the government raise the rate and tackle the housing crisis, to ensure women don't have to choose between violence and homelessness?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We have increased Commonwealth rent assistance since May by 45 per cent. We've put $1 billion into crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence. In addition to that, we've invested heavily in the new National Agreement on Social Housing and Homelessness, which of course supports women and children—in addition to a lot of the other programs we've done. In fact, last week I saw Senator McAllister opening 12 units for women leaving violence and older women, many of whom, Senator McAllister tells me, had lived in temporary accommodation for five years at a former old aged-care facility. They are now in more appropriate accommodation, based on the policies of this government. There is more to do, Senator Waters. I always acknowledge that.