12. DIANNE YATES (Labour) Link to this
to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)
What recent initiatives has she announced aimed at reducing family violence in our communities?
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) Link to this
Today the Prime Minister and I launched a public awareness campaign for action against family violence. The aim of this campaign is to build a stronger sense of community responsibility to end family violence in our country. The campaign has a simple message. Family violence is not OK, but it is OK to ask for help.
Our Government has a long history of combating family violence. Some highlights are the funding for Child, Youth and Family Services has been increased from $291.8 million when our Government came into office to $468.3 million this year; funding to community-based family violence prevention agencies has been boosted by 32 percent over that period; in 2002 the Minister for Social Development and Employment, Steve Maharey, launched Te Rito, the New Zealand Family Violence Prevention Strategy; and in 2005 we established the Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families. Last month the Minister of Health, Pete Hodgson, launched the Ministry of Health family violence intervention programme, which is focused on providing practical advice and tools to thousands of health professionals who come into daily contact with the impact of family violence.
Has the Minister received any recent reports regarding the public awareness campaign she outlined in her primary answer?
Yes, I have. I received a rather ill-informed statement saying that people do not need a TV advert to tell them that abuse is unacceptable, and that it will not work.
Hon Chris CarterThat statement was from John Key. I am very pleased that Judith Collins ignored that statement and showed her support for the campaign with her attendance at the launch. It is my view, with that attendance and the attendance of every other political party at the cross-party working group to prevent family violence, that, finally, our Parliament can say with a united voice: “Family violence is not OK, but it is OK to ask for help.”