Plea for election funding to protect women, kids in domestic violence crisis

A MASSIVE injection of funding is needed to make a meaningful impact on the rising rate of domestic violence, frontline workers have warned ahead of the state election.

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A MASSIVE injection of funding is needed to make a meaningful impact on the rising rate of domestic violence, frontline workers have warned ahead of the state election.

While governments interstate have pledged tens of millions of dollars in targeted packages to tackle the social scourge, South Australian politicians across the spectrum have so far made few costed promises during the election campaign.

Centacare and the Women’s Safety Service say a significant cash injection is needed to prevent the harm that thousands of mostly women and children suffer every day.

Premier Jay Weatherill recently declared domestic violence the “number one issue” affecting women in this state, but Labor’s election manifesto lists no specific new policies or funding to combat the problem. The Liberals have not committed significant new funding, while policies put forward by SA Best are uncosted.

In contrast, during the past four-year election cycle, the Tasmanian Government committed to a $26 million package, the Queensland Government pledged $31 million and the Victorian Government put forward an initial $570 million of a promised $1.9 billion response to a family violence royal commission.

Advocates concede that SA’s relative population would mean a smaller commitment here, but frontline workers say a one-off funding package — larger than anything promised before — is needed to shift the trajectory of abuse in SA.

At least 35 South Australians have died as a result of family violence since mid-2010 and almost 300 families spent the festive season in motels or shelters, including infants.

Among the top priorities for the Women’s Safety Service is an extra $400,000 a year to ensure the domestic violence crisis hotline is operated by trained staff 24 hours a day. It receives 80 to 110 calls a day, but only during business hours.

Centacare Catholic Family Services director Dale West said his organisation received a “pittance” to run a respectful relationships program in schools and a major investment was needed to ensure “every 15-year-old” got the message.

“If we are looking at an issue that on average kills one woman in Australia every week, it’s amazing that as a community we don’t demand more attention on this issue, and substantial resources to address it,” Mr West said.

“If governments are fair dinkum in addressing criminal assault in the home, they will fund preventive programs that can bring about social change.”

Women’s Safety Service SA chief executive officer Maria Hagias said far more funding was needed “to address service gaps”, but stressed any investment must go to services operated by trained specialists.

“We’ve also seen a significant increase of women in motels. We’re doing what we can but resources are tight and demand is high,” she said.

That has meant there is less work being done on prevention. “We used to do some of that work but we can’t anymore because of the demand,” Ms Hagias said.

“We try to do the best that we can but it’s really difficult. If we want to see long-term change that needs addressing.”

The Australian ConservativesParty on Monday releases a domestic violence policy, which would include laws setting mandatory sentences and lifting compensation for victims. Upper House candidate Robert Brokenshire said SA should follow the lead of the NSW Government which committed $20 million to a Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund to boost prevention and early intervention.

He called for more support for victims in regional areas.

Labor has released an eight-point blueprint on domestic violence — including plans to “flag” domestic violence assaults in police data and enable people to request information about the criminal history of their partner — but none of the proposals have been put into place. Mr Weatherill said his party would release a “very substantial” policy “in plenty of time” before election day.

The Liberals have an uncosted policy to develop a personal protection app linking at-risk individuals directly to SA police.

Leader Steven Marshall said his party had announced “160 separate policies and there’s plenty more to come”.

SA Best Leader Nick Xenophon has promised to push for tracking of violent abusers by GPS and subsidising rent for victims starting over in a safe home — but is yet to cost the policies.

For help, phone 1800 RESPECT, or the SA Domestic Violence Crisis Line on 1800 800 098.

How our political leaders can help break the cycle:

● PROVIDE an extra $400,000 a year to extend the Domestic Violence Crisis Line from business hours to 24/7.

● COMMIT funding to ensure any women who request information about a partner’s criminal history then have support to deal with that information and plan for their safety.

● BUILD crisis “motel-like” accommodation across the state for women and children to live in for a short time after they leave a violent household.

● EXPAND respectful relationships programs run in schools.

● ESTABLISH a specialist training unit to educate government, non-government and corporate groups to recognise and address domestic violence, similar to that in Victoria.

● BOOST funding for rehabilitation programs for abusers and legal assistance services for victims.

● ENSURE dedicated funding for the taskforce which brings together police, health, corrections, child protection and other government agencies to address high-risk family violence cases.

● INTRODUCE legislation to toughen penalties for abusers who repeatedly breach conditions of court orders put in place to protect their victims.

Big talk but little action on ‘top issue’

Analysis

FAMILY violence is the “number one issue” that politicians should address for female voters ahead of the state election.

Premier Jay Weatherill made this declaration at a leaders’ forum early in the campaign, arguing that abuse hampers women’s physical and mental health, employment or education prospects and housing security.

His comments drew agreement from both SA Best leader Nick Xenophon and Liberal leader Steven Marshall at the event.

So what are they going to do about it?

With just a fortnight to go, voters trying to assess the promises for change have scant detail to go on.

If it is such a priority for the Premier, you wouldn’t know it from Labor’s official policy document.

The bright red Standing up for South Australia book released at the party’s campaign launch on February 18 mentions the words “domestic violence” once — on page 191, of 197 pages.

The promise to “expand on nation-leading domestic violence initiatives” is vague, to say the least.

The Liberals’ manifesto isn’t much more forthcoming. It promises to hold a roundtable meeting with domestic violence stakeholders in its first 100 days in office — should it take power on March 17 — “to expedite reform”.

SA Best has promised to track violent abusers by GPS and provide rent subsidies for victims — but without saying what it would cost.

The politicians vying for our vote may be planning to announce more before polling day, but they only have a fortnight.

And what about those voters planning to lodge a pre-poll or postal vote from today?

If it’s such a priority, their ideas and their money should already be on the table.

— Lauren Novak