Greens candidate for Macarthur Ben Moroney says planned cuts to Federal funding for community legal aid threaten vital services that allow vulnerable people to access legal support and assistance, maintain housing and find safety from situations of domestic violence.
Mr Moroney says the Macarthur Community Legal Centre is set to lose 30 percent of its federal funding next financial year – over $140,000 per year.
This threatens the centre’s capacity to meet demand for its services and maintain its offices, especially as the Macarthur region is set to grow substantially in the near future.
“The Macarthur Community Legal Centre helps some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in our community understand and access their basic rights – their rights as tenants, as survivors of violence and as citizens,’’ Mr Moroney said.
“Without legal aid, the law does not protect all people equally.
“Some people will find themselves being exploited and taken advantage of.
“Most importantly, the Macarthur Community Legal Centre also offers support services, casework and court assistance in cases of domestic violence – allowing those experiencing violence in the home to access the support they need to protect themselves, move on and rebuild their lives.
“Without this service, make no mistake, people will not just lose their homes or their freedom, they will lose their lives.
“For the government to cut this service, especially in the Macarthur region which is set to grow substantially in the coming decades, shows the Federal government’s lack of understanding of the importance of these services and their contempt for vulnerable people.
“The Macarthur Greens are calling on all candidates in the Macarthur electorate to match our commitment to restore this funding, and to implement a funding model that reflects the vital importance of community legal aid to our society.”
