[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: Newman’s cuts to community legal centres leave most vulnerable without a voice

[Vandeleur, Monique (Sen L. Waters)]

Senator Larissa Waters
Senator for Queensland

Media release

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Newman’s cuts to community legal centres leave most vulnerable without a voice

The Greens condemn the Newman Government’s funding cuts to community legal centres for advocacy work.

“Newman’s cuts to community legal centres come off the back of Abbott’s, leaving the people who most need help in our communities without a voice,” Greens Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said.

“Community legal centres provide free legal service and advocate for a fair legal system that does not further disadvantage vulnerable people, including women who are trying to escape domestic violence.

“The Productivity Commission just released a report calling for government funding for community legal centre advocacy work because it is efficient, effective and solves systemic issues.

“Newman and Abbott are ignoring the Productivity Commission in order to silence the vulnerable, on top of the Liberals’ brutal budget targeting the sick, the poor and the elderly.

“The Newman Government can’t purport to care about eradicating domestic violence and then cut funding for the legal services which identify systemic changes needed to assist women to escape violence,” Senator Waters said.

Queensland Greens spokesperson for legal affairs Jonathan Sri said:

"What's really frustrating is that these cuts won't even save money in the long-term. Without the crucial law reform work of CLCs, bad laws will go unrepaired, creating inefficiencies that cost taxpayers more money in the future.

"You don't ask a supermarket manager which brand of bleach is most effective. You ask the cleaners who actually use the bleach at work each day.

“In this case, CLCs are like the cleaners - they're the ones with the on-the-ground knowledge and experience. They know which laws are working and which ones need improvement.

“To leave them out of the conversation is to deny our legal system a valuable source of independent expert knowledge.

“From day one the Newman Government has been pushing an agenda that promotes inequality, with cuts to Sisters Inside and the LGBTI community health organisation Healthy Communities.

“Campbell Newman may be trying to sneak his community legal centre cuts through state Parliament but the community is taking note and will show that equality matters at the election,” Mr Sri said.

Senator Waters (Monique Vandeleur) 0419 626 725
Jonathan Sri 0432 184 942