Women’s taskforce first meeting did ‘not accord’ with PM’s ‘new dedication to the issue’

Labor MP Peta Murphy says she was disappointed the prime minister’s new women’s taskforce – which met for the first time on Tuesday – did not make moves toward improving funding for domestic violence services. She told Sky News Women’s Safety Minister Anne Ruston said nothing would be done toward improving paid parental leave and domestic violence services seeking additional funding should appeal to the states rather than federal government. “That does not seem to accord in any way, shape or form with any newfound dedication by the prime minister to really make a dent in this issue,” she said. “I think it’s obviously beyond time that the prime minister realised that there is an issue with domestic violence, with sexual violence and fundamentally with gender inequality across this country.” Liberal MP Andrew Wallace also commented on the outcome of the new taskforce’s first meeting, pointing out it was not just up to male or female ministers to end domestic violence, but “up to 25 million Australians to be dealing with this issue”. “This issue is bigger than just government, it’s up to 25 million Australians to put an end to family domestic and sexual violence,” he said.