GED KEARNEY, ASSISTANT MINISTER: Okay. Well, good morning everyone. My name is Ged Kearney, and I'm the Assistant Minister for Social Services and the Prevention of Family Violence. And it's really to announce an extension of the Payment Regional Trial. Now, we know that it takes an enormous amount of courage to leave a family domestic violence situation. And sometimes one of the greatest barriers for women to do that is not having the means to leave, not having some cash flow to perhaps pay for a down payment on a room or to buy food for the kids, or just to be able to have the resources to pack up and leave a violent situation at home. And the Leaving Family Violence program has been a game changer.
A woman can access over $5,000 to help her leave. Normally, that service is provided nationally by Telstra, but we have been trialling with the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service here in Broome. A regional trial where First Nations women can access money from an organisation that is culturally safe and has a deep cultural understanding of her and her children's needs. Now we have announced $2.8 million to extend that trial to to 2027.
This will mean an extra 300 packages for 300 extra women. This could mean the difference between life and death. One of the most dangerous times for women leaving a violence, for women who are experiencing family and domestic violence is when they leave home or they leave that relationship. And having an organisation like BRAMS behind them, supporting them all that way with the extra financial resources could make all that difference. And we know that it does make all that difference. It's also, I think, pertinent that it is a medical service because I myself am a nurse.
I was a nurse for 20 years before I entered politics. And I know that it's often to health professionals that women will actually divulge their dangerous situation. It's often a very trusted relationship and a trusting environment. So, we're very pleased to announce this today. It's also on the back of the Albanese Labor government announcing the first ever national strategy for First Nations prevention of family and domestic violence. Our ways, our voices. So, we are incredibly pleased that this is on the back of that announcement [indistinct] to help families recover, heal and deal with family domestic violence. So, very pleased to be here today. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Ged, why is it so important [indistinct] the trial now?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: Well, the trial, it is a trial and it is running out. And we have seen the great work that BRAMS has been doing with this funding and these packages. So, we wanted to make sure that while we are working very closely with nationally the First Nations communities [indistinct] the national plan to end family domestic violence to First Nations communities that we can extend this support to First Nations families here in Broome and the Kimberley region. We think it is important for women to be able to know that they can leave safely, with resources, a violent situation, and that it can be done in a culturally safe way.
JOURNALIST: The trial has been going on for a year now. What has been the response so far?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: Well, my understanding that it has been successful and that is why we are extending that funding. We have been approached to say we need extra funding, we need more packages. And this funding will supply 300 more packages for women and families in this region.
JOURNALIST: Which women are eligible for these packages and how are they able to access them?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: They are eligible if they are fleeing a family, an unsafe situation at home. Through family and domestic violence, they simply need to approach BRAMS and explain their situation and the wonderful support and care that they will get through the medical service and other organisations that are working with BRAMS to access that funding.
JOURNALIST: Financial package is up to about $5,000. Do you think that's sufficient for women who might have to relocate or access a number of services?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: The $5,000, we have been working with communities right across the country and we understand that there's never enough funding, that people could always do with more. But while we are going through the implementation, consultation phase of our ways, strong ways, our voices and consultation on the second action plan for the National Strategy to End Family Domestic Violence, we think this is an appropriate amount, but we are certainly consulting very closely with organisations like BRAMS who will say they can deal with more.
JOURNALIST: The trial is being extended for 12 months. What happens at the end of that period?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: At the end of that period, we hopefully will be at the end of our consultation for the National Strategies to End Family Domestic Violence, when we will be putting into place all of the feedback that we have had through the consultation. So, it will go through the normal processes of government, through budget processes, through cabinet processes, but we are working very hard to make sure that we get that. I have been hearing through meeting with organisations, we just had a roundtable with several organisations that work with family and domestic violence victim survivors, both in crisis, in recovery and in healing. I've met with two organisations, with Nirrumbuk and MOSAC here in Broome yesterday. It was a great conversation. So, we are taking this consultation very, very seriously and we hope at the end of that we will come up with an action plan that will make a real difference.
JOURNALIST: So, Pauline Hanson recently said she'd scrap payments like this and other initiatives like this. What do you make of those comments?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: Well, I wish that she would come and sit down with the wonderful people and organisations that I've been meeting with today and see firsthand just how incredibly important those payments are. You know, 10 years ago these payments, well, five years ago these payments would never have been available. And what we do know is that it is one of the largest barriers for people leaving a dangerous situation is having the resources to be able to pack up and go. So, I'd say to Pauline Hanson, get your facts straight, come down here, talk to the grassroots people and find out what really is necessary. It is just incredibly dangerous to think that someone like Pauline Hanson in the situation that she is in or her voice is elevated, would be denigrating vitally life saving initiatives like the Leaving the Violence program.
JOURNALIST: Is it more concerning since she's a woman in a prominent politician as well? She doesn't understand these issues?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: Absolutely. I think one thing that politicians do have is a platform and an amplifier for messaging. One of the strong messages that the Albanese Labor government wants to say to women in dangerous situations is that we take this incredibly seriously. It is a high priority of ours and we are investing a great deal into trying to end family and domestic violence. This government has invested upwards of $4 billion into trying to help women and children flee dangerous situations. And I think, you know, to dismiss the whole thing as not necessary, it is just really negligent on her behalf.
JOURNALIST: Long term support is incredibly important for women who are in dangerous situations. How will you ensure that they're still able to access support after the trial is over?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: Well, as I said, we are working on the second action plan for the national strategy and we are talking with a focus on prevention, early intervention, healing and recovery. Young people. We are trying to make sure that the systems talk to each other and that we have a robust, highly skilled, well cared for workforce. The people that work in this sector are incredible. And for regional areas like Broome, I think it's incredibly important that we understand the difficulties for organisations like BRAMS to have locally employed, well skilled people who feel that they can stay working in the sector. So, our consultation is looking at a range of things at the moment. The second action plan once initiated will cover up a lot of those things.
JOURNALIST: Anything else you'd like to include? Men and boys?
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: Okay. Another. In answer to your question about prevention and early intervention, an important focus is on working with men and boys in making sure that they understand what domestic violence is, including coercive control that we have, working with men who use violence, that we have a trauma, informed approach that we really grow a whole generation of healthy young men who don't resort to violence as a measure to deal with anything that they are experiencing.
JOURNALIST: Thank you so much.
ASSISTANT MINISTER KEARNEY: No worries.