Anne Ruston is a Senator for South Australia and Minister for Women’s Safety
Three weeks after the federal Womens Safety Minister Anne Ruston announced a $5,000 Escaping Violence Payment (EVP) Program, domestic violence sector organisations are reporting that the program falls far short of the promise.
It is administered through faith-based service providers who get the bulk of the money to provide services to the woman fleeing violence. Even the $1,500 cash equivalent component of the payment is consists of vouchers for essential items, available through major institutions.
Journalist Kathleen Noonan reminded The Combined Women’s Refuge Group at their annual general meeting last week that only Australian citizens and, possibly, permanent residents are eligible for the payment. Refugees and women on spousal visas are most vulnerable when facing domestic violence as they have no access to Centrelink and limited access to Medicare. The payment is unavailable to most classes of visa holders.
Geoff is an author, publisher and performer dedicated to building an independent media. He worked for Australian Consolidated Press as a Packer editor until starting his own media company in the mid-nineties.
The Generator started life as a radio show on Byron Bay's Bay FM and continues as an umbrella for the Cage, the Cross and Great Notion. These digital assets have now been shared with EcoRadio.net, a radio show with a similar history.
