The Federal Government has put nearly a billion dollars on the table to help women escape violence and address the rise in women killed by men. It's also cracking down on violent misogynistic content online, where harmful attitudes can fester. But those dealing with the crisis every day were hoping for much more money especially for frontline services.
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00:00 In memory of 28 women killed just this year in gendered violence.
00:07 Tonight it is about remembering the people behind the numbers
00:11 and holding that space for them and their families.
00:14 A rise in men's violence against women has put the issue in the spotlight,
00:18 but these vigils happen on the 1st of May every year,
00:22 a sign of the ongoing battle to fix this national shame.
00:27 The Prime Minister calling an urgent meeting with Premiers and Chief Ministers,
00:32 announcing $925 million over the next five years
00:36 to permanently establish the Leaving Violence Program.
00:40 We know that when a woman is killed by a violent partner,
00:44 too often some people will say, "Why didn't she leave?"
00:48 And it's because of there not being options.
00:54 It will provide up to $5,000, including $1,500 in cash
00:59 and $3,500 on a prepaid card for needs like legal help, bills and counselling.
01:05 More funding into the programs that are working,
01:08 I think is something that we should support and applaud.
01:12 The Government also wants to crack down on misogynistic content online,
01:17 announcing a new trial of age verification technologies
01:21 to prevent kids accessing porn on the internet
01:24 and criminal penalties for people who share non-consensual deepfake pornography.
01:29 But after major marches across the country from Australians fed up,
01:34 Complaints this money isn't anywhere near enough.
01:38 What we were hoping for today was significant investment
01:41 into frontline life-saving organisations and we did not see that today.
01:45 This is an extremely underwhelming and deeply disappointing announcement today.
01:51 The nation's leaders say this won't be the end of their efforts
01:54 to help eliminate violence against women.
01:57 National Cabinet will reconvene in a few months.
02:00 Those at the table concede much more needs to be done.
02:04 I'm satisfied it's a further step forward.
02:07 Can we be satisfied when a woman's losing her life on average every four days?
02:13 Of course not.
02:14 We would be naive to think that this problem is going to stop going away
02:17 because there was a meeting today.
02:18 It's also important for the states to sit down and work out
02:22 how they can make their laws more complementary, more uniform.
02:26 The nation's women and children are counting on it.
02:29 [BLANK_AUDIO]