Page 3200 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 20 August 2019
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Ms Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Service is calling on Ms Rosie Batty AO, to use her address at the annual EMILY’s List Oration to be held in Canberra on Wednesday 21 August to urge the ACT Government to reverse its decision to defund the ACT Legal Aid Commission specialist family violence service.
Julie Tongs noted that Aboriginal women are vastly over-represented as victims of crime including as victims of domestic violence. She said:
“The most recent data reveals Aboriginal women are 35 times more likely to be hospitalised due to domestic violence related assault than a non-Aboriginal woman.”
Julie Tongs further noted the Legal Aid Commission has assisted hundreds of women a year, including many Aboriginal women, who have been subjected to violence and abuse. She said:
“Not only is the Legal Aid Commission the service of choice for women from lower income households seeking legal support to protect themselves and their children from violence and abuse, but it is virtually the only legal support available to them. They clearly do not have the capacity or means to privately engage a lawyer.”
…
Julie Tongs concluded:
“It is inevitable, if the Legal Aid Commission domestic violence service is not maintained, that there will be a dramatic and frightening increase in the number of women and children having no access to legal assistance and protection and who will, as a consequence remain in violent and abusive relationships.”
Let me say that again:
“It is inevitable—
based on the cuts made by this government to the Legal Aid Commission—
if the Legal Aid Commission domestic violence service is not maintained, that there will be a dramatic and frightening increase in the number of women and children having no access to legal assistance and protection and who will, as a consequence remain in violent and abusive relationships.”
These cuts are a disgrace. The Canberra Liberals condemn them and in the strongest possible terms we call on the government to restore the funding to the Legal Aid Commission.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
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