Anthony Albanese announces new $5000 payment: What Aussies need to know

Anthony Albanese held an urgent national cabinet meeting on Wednesday after declaring violence against women a “national emergency” following the alleged murder of 27 women across Australia this year.

Following crisis talks, the Prime Minister announced the permanent establishment of the Leaving Violence Payment to help people experiencing intimate partner violence with the financial costs of leaving an abusive situation.

“Those who qualify will access up to $5,000 in financial support, along with referral services, risk assessments and safety planning,” Mr Albanese said.

“This commitment builds on measures our government has taken to help remove the financial barriers to escaping violence.”

Australia will also introduce legislation banning the creation and distribution of deepfake pornography and the sharing of sexually explicit material using technology such as artificial intelligence.

Citing growing concerns about the role of violent online content in normalizing gender-based violence, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced a $6.5 million budget for a pilot of ‘age insurance technologies’ to reduce children’s exposure to harmful material to decrease.

She announced a review, to be carried out in collaboration with experts, with states and territories to explore options to reduce exposure to violent pornography.

“As a parent of two young girls, I am acutely aware that parents feel heavy about how to help their children navigate the online environment,” Ms Rowland said.

“Reducing this exposure to harmful and degrading pornography will better protect Australia’s women and children and we will have more say in our plans to strengthen online safety.”

The government will also introduce legislation in early August to ban the online release of private information with intent to cause harm, known as doxxing.

Mr Albanese said while the possibility of tougher bail conditions for violent offenders was a point of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting, any changes to bail laws would be led by states and territories.

“What I have heard from the Prime Ministers and First Ministers is a commitment to best practice, to exploring what works, and they will work together in a coordinated way to see how they can deal with issues like our laws,” he said .

In Australia, a woman is murdered by an intimate partner every four days, while one in three women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.

Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin said she welcomed a united conversation on the “appalling” wave of deaths among women killed by their current or ex-partners.

“Like many of you, I wake up every day and pick up my phone, worried about what news I’m going to see and the impact it will have on communities, but we also know this is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

Opening the hour-long virtual discussion, Albanese told state and territory leaders that too many women were dying from acts of violence across the country, saying the statistic of one woman killed every four days was “completely unacceptable”.

“Too many children grow up with trauma, too many children grow up without their mothers, and too many stories end in the same heartbreaking way. “If we want to change this, we all have to take responsibility,” he said.

Mr Albanese said the issue of domestic violence is “deeply personal” for many and pledged to take immediate steps to address long-term cultural changes.

“We are committed to tackling these issues, and today we want to achieve some important results, building on the work governments have done so far, but we are doing more because we know not enough has been done,” he said .

Rosie Batty, a domestic violence survivor and advocate, welcomed an expansion of emergency financial assistance, but raised concerns about barriers around eligibility and access.

She said women are most at risk of violence and murder when they leave an abusive relationship, and urged more federal and state resources for recovery and healing.

‘I appreciate that this is an important request that the government has listened to, but what I would enforce is that I hope that this payment is easily accessible and provided without the victim having to prove or go through an extensive screening process that would ultimately retraumatizes. said Mrs. Batty.

‘Ultimately, leaving an abusive relationship is a long recovery. We have to realize that the violence doesn’t necessarily stop because you leave.’

Greens women’s spokesperson Larissa Waters said the announcement was a “shameful” missed opportunity.

“Today’s announcement merely makes permanent an existing program that has been plagued by mismanagement and delays,” said Senator Waters.

“To make matters worse, the exit from violence funding announced today will not arrive until July 2025.”

According to data released in response to a question asked in the Senate Estimates earlier this year, between July and September 2023, more than half of the more than 50,000 Australians who applied for the escape payment were denied to violence.

The one-off payment, which can be accessed through social services provider Uniting, will be issued in the form of up to $1,500 in cash and the rest on a prepaid card for goods and services.

To qualify, a person must be 18 years old and have left or have a plan to leave an abusive partner relationship. Applicants must be an Australian citizen or temporary visa holder and can prove they are experiencing or at risk of financial stress.

They must also have experienced a change in living situation in the past twelve weeks.

If you or someone you know is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECTon 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au