Thursday, 2 May 2024

Western Victoria Region

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:49): (834) My constituency question is for the Attorney-General and concerns the frankly extraordinary fact that funding for Child and Family Services Ballarat’s domestic violence counselling program will end on 30 June this year. The Magistrates’ Court of Victoria has said this is because the program cannot be used by LGBTQI+ and Indigenous offenders. The move has been condemned by shocked domestic violence advocates and professional organisations. Minister, what exactly is unsuitable about these programs which requires them to be ditched instead of reformed? How on earth has this been allowed to happen in the midst of a domestic violence crisis, and particularly in Ballarat, a community still mourning the recent tragic losses of Samantha Murphy, Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire?