Federal Budget fails to count the cost of men’s family violence

Family violence advocates have slammed tonight’s Federal Budget.

No to Violence, Australia’s peak body for organisation’s working with men to end family violence has condemned tonight’s Budget that appears to provide almost nothing new to tackle those that perpetrate family violence.

“We are in the middle of a national family violence emergency,” said No to Violence CEO Phillip Ripper. “If the Commonwealth Government is serious about addressing this, it should have shown it tonight – but what we saw was previously announced commitments.”

“This was called the ‘cost of living’ Budget.  But the Budget ignored the cost of men’s family violence and the cost of women and children living in fear. That’s what tens of thousands of women and children are doing tonight.”

“This week we saw more women dying by men’s violence. How many more will we accept and at what cost?” 

“The cost is immeasurable to some families – for the women and children who have lost their lives and others their health, safety and wellbeing.”

“The cost is simply too great to count.”

“Australia needs a national strategy aimed squarely at intervening with men who use family violence and those at risk of doing so. Across the country around 50% of all frontline policing is family violence related. Our courts are full. Our shelters are full. And our governments continue to just keep doing the same things over and over.”

“We need to do different. We need a national strategy focusing on those who use family violence.”

No to Violence points out that:

• There are thousands of men across Australia waiting for Men’s Behaviour Change Programs.  
• There needs to be new and innovative ways of working with men to end their use of violence.
• There needs to be new and innovative ways to immediately intervene in the pathways into using family violence that so many of our young men and boys appear to be on.

The Budget appears to rehash many previously announced measures such as the National Partnership Agreement, the Innovative Perpetrator Response fund, and funding for the 500 frontline workers. None of which are enough to change the story and all of which fall short of what is needed.

“While we welcome some of the important measures supporting the importance of gender equality, the Budget does nothing new to move the domestic, family and sexual violence sector out of crisis mode and most importantly it offers little to stop violence at the source,” said Mr Ripper.

No to Violence hopes to see a genuine commitment to end family violence in Australia and calls on all sides of politics to address family violence in the forthcoming election campaign and commit to four key actions:

• A National Strategy for People using Family Violence. We will not end domestic, family and sexual violence without a strong, sustained and strategic focus on people using violence.
• Increased funding for frontline domestic, family and sexual violence services.
• Expanding the Innovative Perpetrator Response initiative to $215.92 million over 10 years.
• Establishing a National Knowledge Hub focused on people using family violence to improve and expand our knowledge and ability to respond to people at risk of using or using family violence. $5.06 million over 5 years for establishment.

“We can’t keep doing what we’re doing and expect a different result,” said Mr Ripper.

“We need a dedicated strategy focusing on those who use family violence.”

For interviews please contact David Sutherland at davids@ntv.org.au or 0405 354 343