With every budget the government ignores the women’s safety sector’s sustained calls for $1 billion in funding, leaving frontline family and domestic violence services with no choice but to turn away victim-survivors.
Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on Women, Larissa Waters said:
“In a cost-of-living crisis women needed bold action from Labor, instead we get more of the same half-measures and spin we saw in the October budget.
“The government continues to ignore frontline domestic violence services, who have repeatedly called for a $1B per year to ensure they can help everyone who needs it.
“The funding shortfall will see one in three women unable to get the help they need to escape violence.
“While the Labor Government continues to underfund support services, victim-survivors are turned away from crisis accommodation and one woman is murdered every 10 days in this country.
“The government has spoken often about difficult choices in the lead up to the budget, but many women now face an impossible choice: stay in an unsafe home, or leave and put themselves and their kids at risk of homelessness.
“As usual, Albanese is singing from Morrison’s playbook by choosing to put the tax cuts for our highest income earners above women’s safety.”