500 Workers Undelivered to a Desperate Family Violence Sector 

More than two years after 500 new frontline workers were promised by the Albanese Government, states and territories reeling under the strain of increasing family violence have only “17 full-time equivalent workers” on the job.

Talking to media today, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended his government’s appalling performance with: “You can’t make an announcement and have someone in place tomorrow.”

The Government has taken nearly two years to deliver 17 out of 500 workers to a sector experiencing double and triple the need for services.

“It is a complete failure on any measure,” Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence Senator Kerrynne Liddle said.

Senator Liddle said Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth’s office advised last year that $37.8 million of the total $169.4 million had been distributed to states and territories by November 30.

“With every single Australian State and Territory experiencing an increase in domestic and family violence to November 2023 and having an installment late last year, more should have been progressed,” she said.

“Yet in February only two workers – one in South Australia and one in the Northern Territory – had been employed.

“We also know not all of the 17 full-time equivalent positions are new or full-time.

“An announcement is not an outcome. Australians have every right to be disappointed. The PM said in Canberra on November 27 that his ‘Government is taking immediate and

practical action and delivered on their commitment of new frontline workers’ when his government had delivered not a single one.

“This is a government big on announcements but short on delivery with $169 million budgeted over 4 years for frontline workers. It included 37 workers for SA, 101 for Victoria, 112 for Queensland, 8 for the ACT, 20 for the NT, 50 for WA, 27 for Tasmania and 148 for NSW.”