Legislation that will seek to bring 10 days’ paid family violence leave has been strongly supported by Primary Care Connect as another measure to help break the cycle.
The legislation will also be available to the casual workforce, ensuring 11 million Australian workers will be able to access the leave.
Tricia Quibell, acting chief executive for local community health organisation Primary Care Connect, said the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics from 2018 showed that one in six Australian women, and one in 16 Australian men, had suffered physical or sexual violence by a current or ex-partner, and furthermore over 86 per cent of those adults said their children had also heard or seen violence in the home.
“These are shocking and heartbreaking statistics,” she said.
“When you add to that the financial coercion and control many people experiencing family violence face, it becomes a devastating cycle of terror, violence and feeling stuck.
“This legislation will ensure victims of violence won’t have the added burden of losing income or work, on top of other pressures and challenges they face.”
Instead, Ms Quibell said paid leave would open options to access support services that would help break the cycle.
“In line with other like-minded organisations, Primary Care Connect strongly supports any opportunity to improve legislation which assists victims of family violence,” she said.
“Primary Care Connect and other community health organisations have led the way in this space and Australia is starting to catch up to the standards within the community health sector and the awards we operate under, which is a great thing.”
The organisation has had paid family violence leave available to all staff since 2016.