Senator WATERS: There have been more and more media reports and feedback from the sector
about the reductions in funding, and the fact that women's shelters are struggling to cope
with demand.
I would be interested to know whether the office has conducted any nationwide review
of whether housing services are adequate to meet existing demand.
Ms Larkins : Not to my knowledge.
Senator WATERS: Is anybody collecting that information?
Ms Cross: Not that I am aware of.
I think sometimes that is something that is the responsibility of states and territories.
It may of course come up in COAG discussions when we are looking more broadly at violence
against women.
Senator WATERS: Given that your office is responsible for whole-of-government policy
analysis and is obviously very valuable, are you across those changes to women's shelters
and domestic violence services, and the funding reductions?
Ms Cross: The changes in the states and territories?
Senator WATERS: Yes, but also the changes at the federal level that have been flowed
through to the states and territories.
Are you tracking the diminution�
Senator Cash: Could you outline what the changes are at the federal level that you are referring
to?
Senator WATERS: Sure.
The funding uncertainty on the National Partnerships Agreement on Homelessness, given that it has
only been extended by one year for the last handful of years.
The $44 million cut to the legal sector, of which $19 million has been cut from community
legal centres.
There seems to be some level of confusion about that, but that is my firm understanding.
The funding uncertainty for the Family Violence Legal Protection Service.
The $21 million funding cut to the homelessness bodies, which was unfortunately just a few
days before Christmas.
I can go on.
Senator Cash: Perhaps we can give you an explanation in relation to each one of them, because obviously
each of what you have mentioned does not actually sit within the Office for Women.
The budget that we are responsible for�albeit through DSS�is in relation to the second
action plan or the National Action Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children.
I think we established at the last estimates that there has been no cut at all to the funding
under the second action plan.
I think we had a discussion, too.
Senator WATERS: We did work that out.
Senator Cash: We worked it out and I think we all agreed that there had been no funding
cuts there.
Senator WATERS: We did not agree on the amount.
I think there should be more.
Senator Cash: But in relation to the allocation of the funds, we agreed that there had been
no cut in what had been allocated.
In relation to the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, or NPAH, as it is often referred
to, one of the issues we were confronted with when we came into government�and I think
this has been articulated and is on the record�is that there was no provision by the former
government for funding beyond the forward estimates.
We have actually allocated an additional amount of funding.
It was due to run out on 30 June 2014.
We have extended it for a year, and it is now being considered in the context of the
2015-16 budget.
So the formal considerations are actually being undertaken.
Ms Cross : It is also the subject of the Federation white paper to look at longer term roles and
responsibilities in housing and homelessness.
There is another process that is looking broadly at what the Commonwealth and states should
be responsible for.
Senator MOORE: Is the Office for Women involved in that?
Ms Cross : It comes under my part of the department and I was out consulting on it last week.
Senator MOORE: My question was: is the Office for Women involved in that?
Ms Cross : I am meeting the Office for Women.
The answer is yes.
Senator MOORE: It is not that difficult, because PM&C is looking after the whole white paper
arrangement.
I just wanted to get on record whether the Office for Women, as such�not you�was
involved.
Ms Cross : I am part of the Office for Women in a technical sense.
Senator MOORE: So your entire involvement in the white paper is from the Office for
Women?
Ms Cross : No, it is part of my involvement.
Senator WATERS: It seems to me that there is some confusion about the scope of responsibility
of the office.
Is it meant to be a whole-of-government policy review or is it just looking at the second
action plan?
Ms Cross : It is the function�whole-of-government advice and policy coordination.
Senator WATERS: Sure, but every time I ask about something you say that is not the office's
responsibility.
Ms Cross : The specifics of it are handled by those departments.
Those functions have not come into PM&C.
For specifics, decisions on funding and things like that, those departments are responsible
and they can give you detailed answers.
Senator WATERS: Do you give them detailed advice about the impact of certain�
Ms Cross : We have ongoing discussions and provide advice to them, so, yes, certainly.
Senator WATERS: I am sorry, Minister�I interrupted you.
Did you want to continue?
Senator Cash: I think you mentioned the DSS funding.
That has been continued, on my understanding, until 30 June 2015.
Senator WATERS: In the interests of saving time, I might put those other items on notice
to get an explanation
for each one.