Women's Violence and the Funding of Legal Services - Question to the Treasurer - 5 June 2024

5/6/24

This is a question for the Treasurer. Too many women struggle to navigate the legal system that is meant to protect them when they fear violence. Women's legal service turn away more than 50,000 women a year due to resource constraints and with no new funding in the budget and now having to reduced services, why did the budget not prioritise increasing these services and will the Treasurer increased funding and certainty for committee legal services so women can get the support they need when in fear violence? Call to the Treasurer. Thank you Mr Speaker and thanks to the member for Curtin for her question. There was some new money in the budget for legal services working closely with the Attorney-General but I do acknowledge that we have to finalise the agreement in order to provide some more funding to make sure that these really crucial legal services that we are all familiar with an all our communities, particularly for women at risk. That funding can continue, I've had a number of meetings with the Attorney-General we are very conscious of the pressures on these legal centres and these legal services. We provided a small amount of funding to keep things going for the time being, but we do know and we are committed to a new agreement that provides more funding.

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