Labor’s DV Support in Shambles – More Detail Exposed

After many, many thousands of Australians took to the streets to say no to violence and demand greater action from governments, the Albanese Government’s flagship family and domestic violence policy – 500 new frontline community sector workers – is failing in two of Australia’s largest states with the biggest allocations.

At 1 May, information provided by the Department of Social Services to the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) reported that Queensland (allocated 111) and Victoria (allocated 101) had not notified the Commonwealth of any new frontline workers as promised by Prime Minister Albanese two years ago – not a single one.

The states and territories have already received money, with Queensland receiving more than $13 million and Victoria almost $11 million. New South Wales has just 5 of its 148 allocation. The Northern Territory, with the highest violence rates in the country per capita, has just one 1 out of 20 frontline workers at work. Tasmania made the most progress of delivering nearly 70% of its allocation – way ahead of other states.

On any calculation this demonstrates the hapless, hopeless capacity to deliver on promises.

Vulnerable people rely on these workers to help them flee dangerous situations, re-establish their lives, receive counselling and recovery support. Urgency was the necessary response from the Albanese Government.

Formal PBO advice is at 1 May, 44 out of 500 workers had begun work across the nation, with no information for Victoria or Queensland.

It is unacceptable that the Albanese Government has been on a go slow to get the agreements done and the money where it needs to be; worse still that it has not followed through to ensure progress of their promise by the states and territories.

At roundtables and individual meetings across the country, time and time again the sector has told the Coalition it was already overwhelmed; that every single day is a delay that is too

long; and that they wanted to get on with the work of supporting the safety of vulnerable people that needed their help.

We know, too, that of the 44 reported positions some are not new positions but existing part-time employees that have had their hours converted to fulltime and that some agencies have unexpectedly received a notice of funding with an expectation to employ immediately.

The implementation is in shambles. There is a lack of communication with the sector and zero transparency and accountability to the public. On any measure this rollout is a failure.

This inaction by the Albanese Government comes at a time when family violence is at pandemic levels, reaching an increase of up to 20 per cent in the Northern Territory, with the incidence in Western Australia and Tasmania close behind.