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PM’s domestic violence promise

Ms Cash

Ms Cash

The Federal Government has committed more than $100 million to help stamp out the growing scourge of domestic violence across Australia.

It was the first major funding announcement from the new Prime Minister, that will focus on improving services to female victims of family violence.

Mr Turnbull said at Thursday’s press conference that 63 women have been killed by their partners or a family member this year.

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In NSW, in the last three days, three women have been killed in these circumstances and one baby. domestic-violence-ausMr Turnbull said that was a “disgrace”.

“The challenge that we face is addressing the consequences of this violence and making women, as the Minister [for Women and Employment, Michaelia Cash] said earlier today, safer on the streets, safer at home, and safer online,” he said.

“Disrespecting women does not always result in violence against women. But all violence against women begins with disrespecting women.

“We, as leaders, as a government, must make it and we will make it a clear national objective of ours to ensure that Australia is more respecting of women.  

“Women must be respected. Disrespecting women is unacceptable.

“We have to make it un-Australian to disrespect women.

“It is unacceptable at every level, at the home, at the workplace, wherever.”

The PM was flanked by 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, who lost her son during a domestic violence incident, Ms Cash, and former Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Ken Lay, who is on the violence against women advisory panel.

What’s involved?

Ms Cash said as part of the package, $36.5 million will be spent across three years to provide more training for police, social workers and emergency staff to better support women.

There will also be training for hospital staff to recognise the signs of domestic violence, as well as a duty lawyer at selected hospitals to provide legal assistance.

Rosie and her son Luke.

Rosie and her son Luke. Photo: ABC

Ms Cash outlined $17 million will go towards enabling women to install CCTV, panic buttons, and improved security systems, stopping a perpetrator trying to break onto the home and notifying police.

One aspect of the package, welcomed by Ms Batty, was expanding the Safer Schools website, at a cost of $5 million, which will provide resources for teachers, parents and students on respectful relationships.

Ms Batty’s son, Luke, 11, was killed by his father Greg Anderson at a cricket ground south-east of Melbourne in February 2014.

Anderson was shot dead by police soon after.

During the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence in August, Ms Batty told the panel that education on family violence must start as early as kindergarten.

“It can’t just be a video that’s stuck in a recorder and we sit and watch it and continue what we’ve always done,” she said.

“It needs to be in every school, from as young as kinder throughout the entire school journey and it needs to be in every school, in every state in Australia.”

The Australian of the Year has been working tirelessly in putting family violence in the forefront of people’s minds, working alongside governments, agencies and communities to stamp out domestic violence.

Meanwhile, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), who funded two domestic violence projects nationally to examine technology-facilitated stalking and abuse, also welcomed Thursday’s announcement.

“Providing women affected by domestic violence with new mobile phones is critical,” an ACCAN spokesperson told The New Daily.

“In many cases, perpetrators have installed tracking or spying software on mobile phones and are then able to continue abusing their victims.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the investment was a “great start” however, the Coalition must return funding they had cut for community legal services.

with ABC

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