Anthony Albanese shut down a question from a male reporter, saying he was prioritising questions from female journalists at the unveiling of a program to support frontline services tackling family violence.
Speaking to media after Friday’s meeting of National Cabinet alongside state and territory leaders, the Prime Minister announced $4.7 billion of taxpayers money would be spent on bolstering frontline services for people fleeing family violence.
When taking questions on the plan, Mr Albanese pointed to a cluster of reporters, but stopped one as he began his question.
‘I’m deliberately going to women before blokes,’ he said, giving the floor to a female journalist.
Under the plan, the federal government will spend $3.9bn, with states and territories picking up the rest.
Of that, $800 million will go toward legal aid services, with a priority on responding to violence toward female partners, after a string of high-profile deaths.
‘We know that a nationally coordinated approach is required to address this national crisis,’ the Prime Minister said.
‘We must act to ensure women are safe. These horrific and disturbing deaths and vile violence must be prevented.’
National Cabinet has agreed a $4.7bn package to take a ‘nationally coordinated approach’ to fighting family violence. Picture: NewsWire / David Beach
Homelessness revealed domestic violence victims’ access to homeless support services has worsened in the past five years.
In the 2022-23 financial year, nearly one in four (23.1 per cent) in need of short-term or emergency accommodation had missed out on services.
In 2017-18 that figure was at 20.8 per cent.
The figures were bleaker for people seeking long-term housing, with 71.1 per cent unable to access services, another increase on it 65.3 per cent reported in 2017-18.
Legal Aid, which gives more than 32,000 grants of aid each year in family law cases plus 14,000-plus duty lawyer services for domestic violence, says it has had to turn down applicants due to capacity limit.
National Cabinet also heard about proposals from states and territories to lower the age of criminal responsibility, as a means to end rising rates of youth offending.
‘We’re putting politics ahead of prevention,’ National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds told AAP.
‘It sounds good because it sounds tough on crime, but it’s not based on evidence and that will not keep the community safer.’
Ms Hollonds said this was because locked-up kids had high recidivism rates and learned more about criminal behaviour while behind bars.
Increasing prison time to act as a deterrence against crime was not effective as children aged 11 or 12 were not making a calculation before committing an offence, she said.
‘Children are not making their decision about whether to steal food or a car based on how long the sentence will be – it’s a preposterous notion.’
Governments needed to recognise children committing crime meant their basic needs were not being met, whether this be housing, family care or mental health, the commissioner said.
Restrictions on alcohol sales, delivery times and advertising as well as stronger regulation have been called for to address the role alcohol played in domestic and sexual violence.