7. CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
Does she stand by her statement regarding family violence services that “funding is being moved to the frontline not away from it”?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
Yes. I make no apologies for this Government’s focus on moving funding to the front line, where it is most certainly needed.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Does she agree that services for women in crisis, like Women’s Refuge safe homes, are front-line family violence services, and are particularly important when the number of domestic assaults is on the rise?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Yes. I think the refuges in New Zealand do a fantastic job and are incredibly necessary. Their bed nights are vitally important, and the services they provide should be kept separate from the Government, and continue.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Why, then, did Ministry of Social Development deputy chief executive Richard Wood indicate to Women’s Refuge on 20 April 2011 that $382,000 would be cut from its contract, and would come from short-term residential services to women in crisis?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I would need to check what the deputy chief executive said on that day. But from my understanding, Women’s Refuge had money that was going from an education fund, and it was actually using some of that for front-line services. Because that education fund is being changed into the family funding services that Minister Turia is doing, the refuges can apply for funding via that. In fact, it would sound as though they have a good chance of getting it, because it is actually for front-line services and they are already doing that.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
How does she explain the discrepancy between what her officials have told Women’s Refuge about short-term residential services being affected, and her own statement on 28 April that there should be no effect on residential services?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I suppose I would say that all the applications are in now, although I believe that the collective had until 4 May to get its application in. The decisions will be made—
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Well, actually, that was yesterday, because we are already on the 5th. As a consequence, those applications are being analysed now; the decisions will be made as soon as possible. I acknowledge that it has been quite a short application process, but we want to get back to those services as quickly as possible so that they know what is going on.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Does she support Women’s Refuge advocating on behalf of at-risk women and children—for example, by drawing up safety plans for them and their families?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
We certainly do, but I suppose that at the moment we are saying the focus really needs to go on front-line services as well. Certainly those are the bed nights that we were talking about. We believe that both can be done, so that is a key focus for it. More than $62.4 million is actually going into funding for family violence services, and we want to continue that. In fact, we want to grow that spend. But right now we want to take that forward and make sure we are doing those front-line services.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Given the Minister’s previous answer—that she does support safety plans—why, then, did she indicate on 28 April that funding for Women’s Refuge to provide advocacy services and to lobby the Government would not continue?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Because the Minister has decided that we are moving the money into front-line services. We are not saying it is not important, but we are saying what we need is evidence. We have spent a lot of time on the It’s Not OK campaign, and others, in raising awareness and making sure that people are getting that kind of service. Now, as a consequence of that, we have far more incidents of family violence being reported and people needing help. We want to make sure they are getting the actual help, and the bed nights and assistance that they need.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
If domestic violence is really not OK, why is it OK to cut from these front-line refuge residential and advocacy services?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I suppose I will just repeat what I said in reply to a previous question, which is that the overall funding to refuges, both those that are part of, and those that are separate from, the collective, has increased by 43 percent over the last 4 years. We are actually putting more money into those refuges than has ever been put in before. I am proud of that. We will continue to do that. We know that fundamentally they make a difference, and so will the funding that is going into those services.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I know this is slightly unusual, and I myself am not asking for leave, but there is clearly a discrepancy here. I understood the member to indicate that she had a copy of a letter from Mr Wood. If she has not—
Mr SPEAKER