Friday 29th of March 2024

tony takes the lead on domestic violence ....

tony takes the lead on domestic violence .....

from politicoz ….

In an effort to switch the nation's focus from what Andrew Bolt called his "pathetically stupid" decision to knight Prince Philip, Prime Minister Tony Abbott yesterday delivered a press conference to announce his government's policy on family violence. Family violence – violence committed against women and children and sometimes men by partners, ex-partners and parents – has at last become a political priority, following extended media coverage of horrific murders, including the filicide of 11-year-old Luke Batty by his father in February last year. Luke's mother, Rosie, was instrumental in having the Victorian government set up a royal commission into family violence.

Unfortunately, Abbott's press conference became yet another example of what is being increasingly seen as his political mismanagement and hypocrisy. As Dan Harrison observes, the initiatives Abbott announced – a national scheme for domestic violence orders, national standards for intervening against violent perpetrators and improving online safety – were initiatives he'd already announced last June. The conference was a re-announcement. And by emphasising family violence, Abbott gave critics an opportunity to highlight a number of cuts Abbott's government has made to programs that help victims and prevent violence.

At Daily Life, Jenna Price lists some of the programs that have fallen foul of Abbott's austerity cuts. A five-year research project in Britain recently found that most violent men who participate in reform programs completely stop physically harming their partners, but the Abbott government has defunded men's behaviour change programs in Victoria entirely, and has cut $3.5 million from front-line domestic violence support services for Indigenous women on top of millions from community legal centres. As Abbott said during yesterday's press conference, one woman every week is killed in Australia by her current or former partner. Why, then, has his government de-funded preventive programs?

 

tony has massive double standards...

 

Australian of the Year Rosie Batty has called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to reinstate lost funding to community services after cuts made in last year's budget.

Ms Batty, whose son Luke was murdered by his father in February last year, has questioned why the government would announce a national scheme for domestic violence orders at the same time as legal services that help victims prepare to shut their doors because of the cuts.

This week Mr Abbott was widely criticised after announcing Ms Batty would advise state and federal governments on the new "control order" system in a press conference Labor and the Greens said was called to distract attention from his escalating political problems

A Fairfax Media investigation has uncovered more than 50 different services across Australia that are cutting staff, closing entirely or slashing programs. The groups provide victims of domestic violence with services ranging from applying for intervention orders to obtaining emergency food and medical supplies.

Ms Batty voiced her concerns directly to the Prime Minister's office on Friday to say the cuts, worth nearly $300 million, were at odds with the Prime Minister's public stance on family violence.

"It is a double standard, it is contradictory and totally undervaluing the part that these workers play in our front line services," she said.

She has spoken out because the services will begin to close their doors in four weeks as the first cuts – effective February 28 – begin to hit. Further cuts kick in on July 1. The cuts are across the departments of the Attorney-General, Social Services and Prime Minister and Cabinet, which has cut a further $534 million from Indigenous funding.

read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-of-the-year-rosie-batty-calls-on-pm-tony-abbott-to-reinstate-community-services-20150131-132o1n.html