Health justice partnerships
Mr GRIMLEY (Western Victoria) (12:23): My question is for the minister representing the Attorney-General. Over the past six months or so my office has been liaising with your office about the short-term funding difficulties of the community legal centre sector, or the CLCs. Some CLCs have programs called health justice partnerships, which are early intervention programs that educate health professionals on signs to look out for of domestic violence or other legal troubles. A lawyer also works within the health service to help victim-survivors know their rights and entitlements before it gets to duty lawyer stage at the court or, worse, a crisis. This is incredibly important for family violence matters. These programs have been individually evaluated and have incredible results. The Barwon CLC model alone has reached 850 clients over three years who otherwise may not have engaged their service. Despite all of this we are in the middle of June and a number of CLCs across the state are still waiting to find out if their funding will be renewed. Attorney, when will the results of these grants and other available funding for health justice partnerships be made available to CLCs?
Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:24): I thank Mr Grimley for his question and his ongoing support for CLCs and the work that they do. Obviously this is a matter for the Attorney-General, and she will be able to provide you with the grant scheme that applies.
Mr GRIMLEY (Western Victoria) (12:24): Thank you, Minister. This problem highlights a much bigger one in the social services sector, and that is around continuity of funding. Every year the same agencies fight for the same funding for programs that have been proven to work. Some might wonder why it is so important that funding is made over a number of years or indefinitely rather than year by year, and the answers are simple: fighting against other CLCs for funding each year is a waste of their time and resources, and CLCs lose staff due to the unpredictable nature of whether funding will be made available. I am sure you are fighting for a better funding arrangement, Attorney, but we simply cannot repeat what has been happening this financial year. We need the government to commit to ongoing funding. Attorney, will the government provide longer term funding to community legal centres for health justice partnerships and early intervention strategies?
Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:25): I thank Mr Grimley for his supplementary. These are proposals that he is putting to the government. I am sure that the Attorney will look into these matters if she is not already. I am sure she is, and I am sure that she will abide by the standing orders and provide you with the relevant information.