Page 3198 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
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The government’s support for tertiary education is driving economic growth and diversification in our economy. It is important that we continue to invest in vocational education and apprenticeships and harness opportunities to improve vocational education outcomes in the territory. We will continue to be a strong supporter of this sector. The CIT will always remain in public hands under a Labor government.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
City Renewal Authority—Part 1.13
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
Legal Aid Commission (ACT)—Part 1.14
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services, Minister for Government Services and Procurement and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (4.36): I rise today to speak in support of the Appropriation Bill 2019-2020. Each year the budget process causes the government to look at its priorities and consider ways to achieve its objectives.
I am pleased to take this opportunity to comment on the government’s commitment to supporting Legal Aid ACT to deliver its front-line services. The government provides strong support to Legal Aid and to our community legal centres. We know that Legal Aid protects the most vulnerable people in the community and helps them to access the rights and protections of our justice system. That is why we have provided a combined $8.249 million in funding, including funding for initiatives like the older persons ACT legal service and support to engage with the increased number of ACT magistrates and the new drug and alcohol court. We value Legal Aid ACT and we will continue to support its important role in our justice system.
The safer families package was an historic funding commitment of $21.42 million over four years in the 2016-17 budget and was part of the ACT government response to family violence. The 2016-17 budget allocated $1.214 million over four years from the safer families package to support the Legal Aid Commission to represent more victims of family violence and their children when applying for family violence orders. With this funding, the commission has expanded its family violence unit which has supported nearly 700 additional victims of violence since 2016-17. I acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the team in the family violence unit and the contribution that they have made towards creating a safer Canberra.
The first phase of safer families investments has built an important foundation. It has strengthened the capacity of front-line services to respond to domestic and family violence, improve coordination across government, build important partnerships with the community sector and tested promising new approaches. The package will continually enhance its investment in front-line worker training and the room4change program as well as extend the first family safety hub pilot program, the health justice partnership, for an additional 12 months in the 2019-20 budget. The Legal Aid
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