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.
“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.
Top Comments
Waleed you are an absolute inspiration and a beacon of hope for women who feel like they are being shot down and silenced as 'feminists' when they make arguments such as these. You give a voice to those who are unheard and you represent the benchmark that men should aim for. Thank you for being so inspiring and bringing hope to generation Y that not all men are sexist pigs who want to continue to exercise power over women, because frankly, the current government gives me no hope for my future as a young woman.
It seems unbelievable to me that, after what has happened to so many women this year, that the budget didn't go out of it's way to address this issue. Why isn't the minister for women doing all he can to get funding to tackle this issue?
They don't care, this government. They don't actually give a shit. They say a few words here and there about how bad family violence is and how something needs to be done, but at the end of the day, they don' t see it as an issue big enough to try and fix. There are many men in our country so angry that they are willing to kill and there are many women living in fear, hurt and alone. Why can't a government actually be brave and start asking why this happens and how we can fix it? And actually put some money into it?
Joe Hockey did say there was more announcements about DV to come.
What about now mate. This is an intergenerational problem that has spanned ages.
Now what?
I'm just repeating what Joe Hockey said, there are more announcements on DV to come.