The Federal Government has announced that it will restore funding to the community legal sector in the May budget, abandoning cuts outlined in previous budgets and protecting some key, potentially life-saving services for women and children.
In the last month, hundreds of Common Grace members, as part of a joint petition with Fair Agenda, along with other community groups and those in the legal sector, have raised their voice, calling on the Government to reverse its decision to cut funding to Community Legal Centres - AND IT HAS WORKED!
Attorney-General George Brandis acknowledged that the Government’s decision was a direct result of the pressure it had received from the legal sector and community groups, saying,
"It is an important announcement for the sector. They have been waiting and hoping that the Government would see their point of view and we have done that and delivered for them." [1]
Today’s announcement provides all of us who are part of the Common Grace community with a fantastic opportunity to affirm and encourage our governmental leaders towards justice.
Together we can affirm our Government's decision to:
- Protect access to justice for women and children who face domestic violence;
- Hear the community’s voice; and
- Show humility by changing its plans.
More importantly, we can encourage them to continue to make decisions that prioritise the safety of women and children - because there’s so much more that needs to be done!
[1] http://abc.net.au/news/2017-04-24/federal-government-to-reverse-community-legal-funding-cuts/8465420