Today’s announcement of a reversal in cuts to Community Legal Centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services is a humiliating backdown for George Brandis and a victory for campaigners around Australia.
Labor has been protesting these cuts for years, arguing vulnerable Australians in need of free legal services – including domestic violence victims – would suffer.
The devastating cuts would have seen the Launceston Community Legal Centre who offer free legal help having to turn their clients away.
Until today, George Brandis pretended these cuts did not exist and there was instead a net boost to funding. It seems unlikely Senator Brandis has executed this backflip without considerable pressure from his colleagues, who must now be as sick of his ineptness as Labor is.
The reversal of these cuts will be a welcome relief to vulnerable residents of Bass who rely on the Launceston Community Legal Centre for legal assistance.
It is beyond time for the coalition and George Brandis to stop toying with the funding of these vital services. They deserve stability and predictable funding.
The uncertainty faced by the Launceston Community Legal Centre in recent months and years has been incredibly damaging, with the CEO Nick Snare considering making her position part-time, to create some funding flexibility to help retain experienced staff. It’s simply unacceptable.
I am committed to free legal services for the people in Bass who need it, and will always give the Launceston Community Legal Centre the support they deserve.
ROSS HART MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BASS
