Waleed Aly slams the Government for not spending more to prevent violence against women.

Waleed Aly slams the Government for not spending more to prevent violence against women. Show me the money.

Tonight Treasurer Joe Hockey, delivered the Abbott Government’s second budget and of course there were winner and losers.

But one group that failed to rate a mention in the Treasurer’s budget speech? Victims of domestic violence.

Unlike our politicians though, host of The Project Waleed Aly did not forget the thousands of Australian women suffering at the hands of their partners and on tonight’s episode of the show, he issued his audience with a powerful message.

#ShowMeTheMoney to put an end to domestic violence (written by Waleed & @twhittyer) #TheProjectTV #Budget2015 http://t.co/HUb9SOZyfI

— The Project (@theprojecttv) May 12, 2015

“I’d like to put my hand up on behalf of a group of Australians who might be unable to or are too afraid to, or when they do ask for help, they’re too often turned away,” he said.

“I’m talking about Australian women, who are regularly beaten, abused and killed by Australian men, usually their partners.”

According to Aly, 18 631 calls to the domestic violence hotline 1800 RESPECT went unanswered last year, “they reached out and were turned away.”

The hotline needs $2.8 million annually to operate, which Waleed points out is just one twentieth of what it costs to run the Government’s controversial school chaplaincy program.

Aly also put his hand up for the 150,000 people turned away from community legal services last financial year, for the 423 people who are turned away from homeless shelters every night, many of whom are women and children affected by domestic violence.

These are the women who have lost their lives to domestic violence this year (post continues after gallery):

And to Australian men, Aly had this to say:

“For the Aussie blokes out there who settle family arguments with their fists, often in front of their kids. The guys who engage in psychological torture, and have their partners feeling trapped with nowhere to go.

“And I’m especially putting my hand up for the blokes out there who, since the start of the year, have murdered 24 Aussie women who were either current or former partners. That’s not one a week. It’s more like one every five days.

“By this time next week, [domestic violence] will cost another women in Australia her life. She won’t be able to raise her hand, so I’ll raise mine.

“And you should too. Starting tonight, when the nation is focused on its spending, every one of us should make one simple demand: ‘Show me the money’.”

So, tonight, we’re joining Aly and we’re asking to Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey to show us the money and starting helping those Australians who need it the most.

Keep reading:

The one where Waleed Aly slams Australia’s action on climate change.

 

A guide to the winners and losers in the 2015 federal budget.

2015 Budget infographic: Cos’ everything is better in pictures.

Budget 2015: Welfare budget cut by $1.6 billion.