Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are now heading across and as I said, we
have got the Federal Assistant Minister for Social Security, Aging
and Women, Kate Thwaites in town at the moment, and
she is in Darwin this week and plans to visit
new emergency accommodation for women and children experiencing family and
domestic violence. She's also set to take part in a
(00:21):
round table with senior territorians to talk about the kinds
of federal government support available to them. And she joins
me on the line right now. Good morning to your
Assistant minister.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good morning, lovely to be with you and to be
in dar And today.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, great to have you on the show. Now, Kate,
can you tell me more about the new emergency accommodation
for victims of domestic violence, which, as we know, is
a massive issue in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Absolutely well. This is part of our federal Safe Places
emergency funding and in the Northern Territory there are two
organizations who from a federal perspective of receiving ten point
six million dollars to build crisis and emergency accommodation here
in the territory. So today I'll be meeting with the
(01:09):
Salvation Army. Now they've received more than five point six
million dollars to create thirty six safe places under this program,
so I'll be taking a closer look at that today.
And they're also doing some work in Alice Springs where
they've got eight million dollars to create fifty six safe
places there. So that's a really important part of the
(01:30):
work we are doing to keep women and children safe
in the territory. I should also mention, and I think
this is sort of relevant in this space as well,
that at the moment we are developing the National Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan. Of course, Katie,
we do know that First Nations women and children are
thirty four times more likely to be hostilized due to
(01:52):
violence and non Indigenous women, and so this plan is
really important in making sure that we are tackling that
crisis in the right place, and we want input into
that plan. So consultation is now open and that's being
led by SNAKE. So if people want to input into
that plan, please head to the SNAKE website and do
(02:13):
put your input into that National Family Safety Plan for
National Average on Trustrail under people, it is going to
be a really important part of the work we're doing.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
I mean, you said, just a moment ago, we know
that this is an incredibly serious issue here in the
Northern Territory. I mean, just this morning, we are reporting
that the Northern Territory Police have now charged a thirty
six year old man in relation to the death of
a twenty two year old female in Catherine. Now he's
been charged with one count of murder in relation to
(02:44):
the death on Monday, and one count of aggravated assault
for a separate historic incident against the same woman. We
were earlier told by the Northern Territory Police that this
was indeed a domestic violence related incident. I mean, it
feels as though here in the Northern Territory right now
we are reporting on we have far too much of
(03:07):
this violence happening, but the rate at which women are
being killed in the Northern Territory, I mean, it's an
absolute disgrace.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Katie, You're right, I mean what's happened is a tragedy,
and of course my condolences are with that immediate family
and of course with that whole community in Catherine, because
this is devastating. It shouldn't happen. We do have a
national plan to end family violence within a generation. We're
putting three point four billion dollars against that plan. We're
(03:41):
doing the work now, as I said, on this National
Aboriginal and Terrestrate Islander Family Safety Plan, and we're putting
some of those as I was talking about earlier emergency
pieces in place as well safe places for women and children.
But of course I can't pretend that this is problem solved.
There is so much more work to bed and as
a federal government, we will keep doing that with the
(04:02):
Northern Territory government and with communities and women and all
the organizations that are working in this space, because it
is a national crisis and we do need to continue
to bring a national focus to it.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
A System Minister, we also know Thatch over recent months
and years there have been calls for needs based funding
when it comes to domestic violence here in the Northern Territory.
I know the former Labor government here in the UNC
was certainly pushing for that, the now colp government certainly
pushing for that. Are we ever going to get to
a point where there is needs based funding for the
(04:36):
Northern Territory around domestic violence?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
We work really closely with the Northern Territory government and
will continue to tackle family and domestic violence. And so
with the funding that the federal government does provide to
the Northern Territory, we do recognize that there are additional needs,
particularly around the remoteness of where people are living, and
(05:00):
so we do provide significantly more funding to the Northern
Territory than to other areas of it. The territory does
receive mud.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
I understand that, but you'd have to agree like you
would you would have to agree that if women were
being murdered at the rate at which they are in
the Northern Territory in any other capital city. I mean,
it's appalling you You would have to agree that you
guys would be jumping up and down more so than
what you are right now and looking at providing more
(05:28):
funding or doing things differently.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Well, Katie, it is appalling. We are tackling it in
a way and with a focus that it has never
received before. As I said, I'm not going to pretend
that this is something that you click your fingers and
you fix overnight. That's not This is deeply entrenched and
it comes at us from a number of fronts, and
so we need to work on a number of fronts
to fix it and that's what we will continue to
(05:53):
do so across the board. The territory receives more than
one hundred and eighty three million dollars at the moment
from the Commonwealth to address this at a whole range
of levels.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
But a ruling out, really a ruling out if that
needs based funding will rule it out.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
No. No, What I'm saying is we will keep working
with the Northern Territory government in communities and women and
children to make sure that we are doing everything we
can to keep them safe and this is part of
that work. And there's more work to be done as well. Katie.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
All right, now, I know you are also attending around
table with the Counsel of the Aging here in the
Northern Territory. What's on the agenda at that.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to a meeting with older people
here in the territory talking with them about how our
government is supporting older people with cost of living pressures
at the moment. We know, just like for everyone at
the moment, the cost of living pressures are very real
for older Australians. So we've had some recent indexation to
the pension. We've been making it easier for people to
(06:52):
get access to the Commonwealth Senior's Health Card and the
associated benefits with that. That's a card that helps with
your particularly with your healthcare costs, and that we've increased
the limit of income which you can receive that, so
there's a lot more people who are receiving support under
that at the moment. I'll also be talking about some
(07:12):
of the broad issues that we know affect older people,
issues like whether they want to keep working and how
they combine that with the pension issues like age discrimination,
which we know does play out in the workforce sometimes
and more broadly in our community. So I'm really looking
forward to having those discussions both about work out governments
(07:33):
Scott underway as well as other work that we need
to do well.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Kate Thwaite, the Federal Assistant Minister for Social Security, Aging
and Women, really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you
very much for your time and joining us on the show.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Thanks Katie, thank you.
We are now heading across and as I said, we
have got the Federal Assistant Minister for Social Security, Aging
and Women, Kate Thwaites in town at the moment, and
she is in Darwin this week and plans to visit
new emergency accommodation for women and children experiencing family and
domestic violence. She's also set to take part in a
(00:21):
round table with senior territorians to talk about the kinds
of federal government support available to them. And she joins
me on the line right now. Good morning to your
Assistant minister.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good morning, lovely to be with you and to be
in dar And today.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, great to have you on the show. Now, Kate,
can you tell me more about the new emergency accommodation
for victims of domestic violence, which, as we know, is
a massive issue in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Absolutely well. This is part of our federal Safe Places
emergency funding and in the Northern Territory there are two
organizations who from a federal perspective of receiving ten point
six million dollars to build crisis and emergency accommodation here
in the territory. So today I'll be meeting with the
(01:09):
Salvation Army. Now they've received more than five point six
million dollars to create thirty six safe places under this program,
so I'll be taking a closer look at that today.
And they're also doing some work in Alice Springs where
they've got eight million dollars to create fifty six safe
places there. So that's a really important part of the
(01:30):
work we are doing to keep women and children safe
in the territory. I should also mention, and I think
this is sort of relevant in this space as well,
that at the moment we are developing the National Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan. Of course, Katie,
we do know that First Nations women and children are
thirty four times more likely to be hostilized due to
(01:52):
violence and non Indigenous women, and so this plan is
really important in making sure that we are tackling that
crisis in the right place, and we want input into
that plan. So consultation is now open and that's being
led by SNAKE. So if people want to input into
that plan, please head to the SNAKE website and do
(02:13):
put your input into that National Family Safety Plan for
National Average on Trustrail under people, it is going to
be a really important part of the work we're doing.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
I mean, you said, just a moment ago, we know
that this is an incredibly serious issue here in the
Northern Territory. I mean, just this morning, we are reporting
that the Northern Territory Police have now charged a thirty
six year old man in relation to the death of
a twenty two year old female in Catherine. Now he's
been charged with one count of murder in relation to
(02:44):
the death on Monday, and one count of aggravated assault
for a separate historic incident against the same woman. We
were earlier told by the Northern Territory Police that this
was indeed a domestic violence related incident. I mean, it
feels as though here in the Northern Territory right now
we are reporting on we have far too much of
(03:07):
this violence happening, but the rate at which women are
being killed in the Northern Territory, I mean, it's an
absolute disgrace.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Katie, You're right, I mean what's happened is a tragedy,
and of course my condolences are with that immediate family
and of course with that whole community in Catherine, because
this is devastating. It shouldn't happen. We do have a
national plan to end family violence within a generation. We're
putting three point four billion dollars against that plan. We're
(03:41):
doing the work now, as I said, on this National
Aboriginal and Terrestrate Islander Family Safety Plan, and we're putting
some of those as I was talking about earlier emergency
pieces in place as well safe places for women and children.
But of course I can't pretend that this is problem solved.
There is so much more work to bed and as
a federal government, we will keep doing that with the
(04:02):
Northern Territory government and with communities and women and all
the organizations that are working in this space, because it
is a national crisis and we do need to continue
to bring a national focus to it.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
A System Minister, we also know Thatch over recent months
and years there have been calls for needs based funding
when it comes to domestic violence here in the Northern Territory.
I know the former Labor government here in the UNC
was certainly pushing for that, the now colp government certainly
pushing for that. Are we ever going to get to
a point where there is needs based funding for the
(04:36):
Northern Territory around domestic violence?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
We work really closely with the Northern Territory government and
will continue to tackle family and domestic violence. And so
with the funding that the federal government does provide to
the Northern Territory, we do recognize that there are additional needs,
particularly around the remoteness of where people are living, and
(05:00):
so we do provide significantly more funding to the Northern
Territory than to other areas of it. The territory does
receive mud.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
I understand that, but you'd have to agree like you
would you would have to agree that if women were
being murdered at the rate at which they are in
the Northern Territory in any other capital city. I mean,
it's appalling you You would have to agree that you
guys would be jumping up and down more so than
what you are right now and looking at providing more
(05:28):
funding or doing things differently.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Well, Katie, it is appalling. We are tackling it in
a way and with a focus that it has never
received before. As I said, I'm not going to pretend
that this is something that you click your fingers and
you fix overnight. That's not This is deeply entrenched and
it comes at us from a number of fronts, and
so we need to work on a number of fronts
to fix it and that's what we will continue to
(05:53):
do so across the board. The territory receives more than
one hundred and eighty three million dollars at the moment
from the Commonwealth to address this at a whole range
of levels.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
But a ruling out, really a ruling out if that
needs based funding will rule it out.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
No. No, What I'm saying is we will keep working
with the Northern Territory government in communities and women and
children to make sure that we are doing everything we
can to keep them safe and this is part of
that work. And there's more work to be done as well. Katie.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
All right, now, I know you are also attending around
table with the Counsel of the Aging here in the
Northern Territory. What's on the agenda at that.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to a meeting with older people
here in the territory talking with them about how our
government is supporting older people with cost of living pressures
at the moment. We know, just like for everyone at
the moment, the cost of living pressures are very real
for older Australians. So we've had some recent indexation to
the pension. We've been making it easier for people to
(06:52):
get access to the Commonwealth Senior's Health Card and the
associated benefits with that. That's a card that helps with
your particularly with your healthcare costs, and that we've increased
the limit of income which you can receive that, so
there's a lot more people who are receiving support under
that at the moment. I'll also be talking about some
(07:12):
of the broad issues that we know affect older people,
issues like whether they want to keep working and how
they combine that with the pension issues like age discrimination,
which we know does play out in the workforce sometimes
and more broadly in our community. So I'm really looking
forward to having those discussions both about work out governments
(07:33):
Scott underway as well as other work that we need
to do well.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Kate Thwaite, the Federal Assistant Minister for Social Security, Aging
and Women, really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you
very much for your time and joining us on the show.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Thanks Katie, thank you.
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