6 September 2024

‘Today’s National Cabinet announcement won’t move the dial on family violence,’ said Phillip Ripper, CEO of No to Violence, after announcements today from the Prime Minister and National Cabinet.  

‘If Australia is going to stop family violence, governments need to take action to stop men’s violence against women at the source.’ 

‘Men’s use of family violence is not inevitable, but to address it requires radical change in how governments understand and respond to people using violence. We haven’t seen that in today’s announcement.’ 

‘Instead, what we have seen is opaque and ambiguous at best.’  

‘It appears that funding for the National Partnership Agreement is actually going backwards. The National Partnership Agreement funding announcement today appears to be a cut to existing Commonwealth Government funding for domestic and family violence. Under the existing National Partnership Agreement, the Commonwealth government provided $159 million over 2 years – an average of $79.5 million per year. However, in today’s announcement they have committed only $70 million per year for five years. 

‘It also remains uncertain where funding for state and territory contributions to the National Partnership will come from, and whether this will be in addition to existing commitments or not. We welcome the Government’s commitment to increase the transparency, accountability and co-ordination of National Partnership Agreement funding, but this should have started today!’ 

‘A focus on limiting escalation of high-risk perpetrators of family violence is welcomed, but this is after the problem is already with us. This is after harm has already been done.’ 

‘We need to disrupt pathways into using family violence, and when we can’t, we need to invest in a broader suite of intervention for men who choose to use family violence.’ 

‘We need to create pathways out of using family violence and put an end to repeating patterns of family violence.’ 

Mr Ripper said Australia needs national leadership and a dedicated national perpetration strategy addressing people who use family violence. A crucial first step is a national perpetration strategy that ensures we: 

• Build a national evidence base on the pathways people take into using family violence and the potential pathways out.  

• Develop an effective, targeted and available suite of interventions so that there are pathways out of using violence. These must include trauma-informed therapeutic 1-1 work, whole-of-family responses, and targeted interventions for specific cohorts, such as high-risk men, men with complex needs, like drug and alcohol problems, and culturally appropriate pathways out, alongside support for community-led responses. 

• Create an integrated systems response to men’s use of family violence across police, justice, child protection, housing and homelessness, health services, legal services, mental health, alcohol and other drugs services, as well as universal services like health and education. 

• Fund the frontline to support services and the practitioners that work day-in and day-out with victim-survivors and those perpetrating violence against them. To do this, government funding must reflect the real cost of delivering innovative and effective services and build a highly qualified workforce. There is a 40-plus year history in Australia of working with men using violence, but practitioners’ knowledge of what works to stop violence rarely shapes political and policy-makers’ decisions. Going forward, the Commonwealth government must start adequately valuing the insights of those working directly with victim-survivors and men using violence. 

No to Violence welcomes emerging moves to address how systems and perpetrators enable one another to drive harm and disadvantage for women and children.  

‘We know that people using violence often manipulate systems to advance their use of coercive control,’ said Mr Ripper. ‘This reality must be acknowledged and addressed in a comprehensive strategy. We call on the governments to champion First Nations, culturally and racially marginalised communities and disability-led organisations’ voices in this plan.’ 

‘Meanwhile, we welcome the $3.9 billion over five years to support the continued delivery of frontline legal assistance services. It is especially promising to see an increased focus on supporting legal services responding to gender-based violence.’ 

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

About No to Violence   

No to Violence (NTV) is Australia’s largest national peak body for organisations that work with men who use family violence, providing training, sector development and advocacy across the sector.  

NTV also operates the Men’s Referral Service, providing a counselling service and referral pathways directly to men who use violence ph: 1300 766 491