QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Ms PLIBERSEK (Sydney—Minister for Social Services) (14:22): I want to thank the member for Macnamara for his question. He is doing such a wonderful job as the Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness. All too often, when a woman has been murdered by a partner or an ex, people say, 'Why didn't she leave,' when what they really should have asked is, 'Where would she go?' On this side of the House, we know that safe housing is absolutely critical to help women and children leave violence.
No mother wants to make her kids homeless. Quite often, women will endure unspeakable abuse because they want to keep a roof over their kids' heads. No-one should have to choose between a violent home and homelessness.
And that's why, on this side, we are investing $1.2 billion to deliver 55,000 more crisis and transitional homes and more social and affordable homes than ever before, including the $300 million that was announced by the Minister for Housing today. And it was such a great thing to be able to join her for that very important announcement. This is funding that those opposite voted against and, at the last election, promised to cut.
But that's not a shock, because, when they were last in government, they abandoned our homelessness target, and they built just 373 social and affordable homes in a decade. Each one of the 55,000 homes we've committed to is more than a roof over someone's head. It's a lifeline.
It means stability. It means safety. It means the opportunity to recover and rebuild.
As the CEO of Homelessness Australia said today, 'Each one of these safe homes will give people a chance to escape homelessness and violence and rebuild their lives.' It's so wonderful to have Sienna with us in the gallery today. Sienna and Ella both spoke about having to leave home when they were 14 and 16. Ella said this morning: 'When you're 14 you fall through the gaps.
There's absolutely nothing out there for you. Many of our young people are living in survival mode on their own.' That's why the funding that was announced today by the minister is so very important, but it's just part of the 122 Commonwealth measures under the First Action Plan on violence against women and their children—a record $4.4 billion invested in addressing family, domestic and sexual violence; making the leaving violence payment permanent; funding 500 frontline workers; investing record amounts in early intervention and prevention and specialised support, particularly for children and young people; and, also, making sure those persistent perpetrators of violence get locked up, where they should be.