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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-11-14 Daily Xml
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FOUNDATION TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND THEIR CHILDREN

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:12): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for the Status of Women on the topic of the national Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and Their Children.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and Their Children is a new foundation and seeks to work to raise awareness and engage the community in action to prevent violence against women and their children. It was launched in July 2013 by the then commonwealth minister for the status of women, the Hon. Julie Collins MP, and the Victorian Minister for Community Services, the Hon. Mary Wooldridge MP. Both those jurisdictions—the commonwealth and Victoria—have stumped up $6.5 million to get this foundation going, and I understand that the chair, Natasha Stott Despoja, is meeting with state and territory governments around the country at present and asking them to commit to a partnership with the foundation. My question to the minister is: will she provide an update on what the Weatherill government's attitude is towards this new foundation and whether there is indeed the potential for a partnership to be entered into by South Australia with this exciting new foundation?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:14): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. I congratulate the foundation on the work it has set out to achieve. I have already met with the chair, Ms Natasha Stott Despoja, and had a very fruitful and worthwhile dialogue. I believe she has also met with the Premier or, if not, she has had an exchange of correspondence with the Premier (I know that they certainly have had some exchange).

We had a very fruitful meeting and Natasha took some time to outline where she saw the vision and direction of the foundation going, and I was able to outline how I thought the work we were doing here, our policies for violence against women and children, and our program activities and work could complement each other so that we could work together without replicating activities and working in highly complementary ways.

Even one death or act of violence against a woman or a child is one too many. I think that the establishment of this foundation will very much assist at the community engagement level where there is a great opportunity to do some wonderful work for women and children who are victims of violence or potential victims of violence.

I understand the Premier has already committed $5,000 to the foundation as a sign of commitment and partnership, and he has indicated that in the next financial year we will consider ordinary membership with the foundation. We have agreed to ensure that we stay in contact with each other and keep solid lines of communication open with an ongoing dialogue, and we look forward to working with the foundation in helping to combat violence against women and children.

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