Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will propose a $4.7 billion support package at the national cabinet meeting to boost services for Australians fleeing family and domestic violence.
The package will include funding for crisis accommodation, legal assistance, and frontline services.
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The national legal assistance partnership, set to expire in June 2024, will also be renewed after the Mundy review highlighted severe underfunding in Australia’s legal assistance sector.
However, the plan could spark a funding dispute, with some states and territories resisting co-funding what has traditionally been a Commonwealth responsibility.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the federal government is determined to avoid a “states versus Commonwealth” clash, committing to put “dollars on the table” to address the crisis.
Mr Albanese described domestic violence as a “national crisis” and called for an “all-hands-on-deck approach” to end violence against women and children.
The national cabinet will also discuss monitoring high-risk perpetrators and supporting young Australians affected by violence.
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