Page 1001 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 21 April 2021
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I did, previously, with Mr Corbell. You probably voted to support it, Mr Rattenbury. Shame on you. But I do not think that “misleading the community” is unparliamentary language, Mr Deputy Speaker. Clearly that is what happened.
I just want to make it clear on the record. When we see what is happening in the jail right now, it is entirely the fault and the responsibility of this government, who knew exactly what was needed and said on the record in this place, “This is what is needed in terms of beds.” This government said that there would be 374 beds and did not deliver that to the community.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
Community Services Directorate—Part 1.8
MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Minister for Housing and Suburban Development, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Women) (4.56): I welcome the opportunity to speak on this part of the budget. There has been significant work done by the ACT government around these priority areas, ensuring that the safety and equality of women and girls is assured.
The government had provided an additional $238,000 to support women in their construction and return to work expansion. The remaining $133,000 is funding two new components of the expansion of the Women Return to Work program, in addition to grants of up to $1,000. Women receiving the grants are provided with additional mentoring and wrap-around support through a relationships manager. This includes access to emergency food relief, free or subsidised work clothing, parenting programs, and domestic and family violence support. SPARK return to work workshops are run in both the north and south of Canberra, taking in 80 women. Workshops include advice on how to write a resume, how to prepare for a job interview, as well as how to speak confidently in public.
In the 2019-20 budget the government will also provide $180,000 for women’s grants in the 2020-21 budget. This process is currently underway and is expected to include $100,000 to support projects in the ACT Women’s Safety Grant category and $80,000 to support projects in the participation grants category. In 2016, Women’s Centre for Health Matters launched its Safety Mapping Tool to help identify public spaces in the ACT where women felt unsafe. This tool was produced with the assistance of the ACT participations grant of $25,000. Work to improve women’s safety informed by the tool is being led by TCCS, with officials in CSD monitoring closely. CSD will work with Women’s Centre for Health Matters and TCCS to support a joined-up approach to this work.
The family safety levy, which was established in 2016, provides opportunities to bring about change and improvement to responses to domestic and family violence. The 2020-21 budget invests $24.4 million over four years for safer family initiatives. On this investment the levy is expected to contribute $20.6 million. This funding will support a range of initiatives to strengthen the capacity of front-line services to
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