Good morning, everyone.
I'd like to start by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today, the Ngunnawal people.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present and I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.
I'd also like to acknowledge Yvette Berry - the ACT Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, and acknowledge my good friend Alicia Payne - the Federal Member for Canberra.
I'm proud to be a part of a government that is committed to delivering real, lasting change for victim-survivors of family, domestic, and sexual violence - and committed to creating a safer Australia for all.
Our National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2023-2032 is backed by record investment.
$3.4 billion investment since coming into Government.
Plus, an additional $4.4 billion investment towards community legal assistance and women's safety, as announced at National Cabinet earlier this month by the Prime Minister.
Today, we take another important step towards the goals of our National Plan.
We're here to officially launch the Supporting the Primary Care response to Family, Domestic, Sexual Violence and Child Sexual Abuse Pilot.
This pilot program will support primary health care professionals in recognising and responding to early signs of family, domestic, sexual violence and child sexual abuse.
As we know, the health care system plays a vital role in prevention, early identification and responding appropriately to family and domestic violence.
Primary health care professionals, such as GPs, are often the first point of contact for victim-survivors due to the physical injuries as well as mental health issues resulting from abuse and violence.
In 2022, the Albanese Labor Government appointed the first federal Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, Micaela Cronin.
Commissioner Cronin just last month tabled her first yearly report to Parliament, which measured the progress towards the objectives of the National Plan.
In her report she noted that the broader non-specialist domestic, family and sexual violence workforces, such as medical professionals and allied health workers, have a critical role to play in responding to and preventing domestic, family and sexual violence.
The Commissioner notes that of workforces that respond to domestic, family and sexual violence, 90 per cent are medical professionals and allied health workers.
That's why the Albanese Labor Government has invested $48.7 million over four years to provide increased support to primary care providers.
This investment is to assist in the early identification and intervention of family, domestic, sexual violence, and child sexual abuse.
This includes funding of $45.5 million to Primary Health Networks for the Supporting the Primary Care response to Family, Domestic, Sexual Violence and Child Sexual Abuse Pilot across the country.
With $4.3 million of this funding directed towards the ACT, for the pilot we are launching today.
We want primary health care givers to be equipped to respond to and where they can, prevent violence.
Perhaps when primary health care givers entered the profession, they didn't expect to be at the frontline of preventing gender-based violence.
But what I do know, is that for majority of people who pursue a career in health, they do so because they want to help others.
It's programs such as this one that equip those on the frontline to do the job they set out to do - help others.
We must all remain committed to tackling gender-based violence in all its forms, and building the capabilities of our frontline service providers to prevent violence where they can.
I applaud all the frontline staff joining us here today, and everyone who has been working tirelessly to deliver this pilot on the ground here in Canberra.
Thank you all for your efforts and for having me here today.
