Harawira highlights 'woeful' level of resourcing to combat family violence
Hone Harawira
Member of Parliament for Tai Tokerau
"We know there's a big problem with the increasing level of family violence," says Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP for the
Tai Tokerau, "and we know that we have to be part of the solution, particularly in Maori communities."
"But we are also really concerned at the woeful level of government support for initiatives aimed at reducing family
violence," said Harawira. Police statistics for 2002-2003 show that 46 out of 116 (40%) of all homicides were domestic
violence related.
"Family violence impacts on everyone. It destroys those families who experience it, it breaks down the trust within the
wider whanau and their communities, it leads to the intervention of health and welfare services, and eventually the
police, the courts, the jails, the probation service - it just doesn't stop. Family violence is an issue for the whole
of our society."
"A lot of the early work to deal with victims of family violence, was done through groups like Women's Refuge who fought
to set up support services way back in the 1970s, and they've been doing it for a pittance ever since."
"They are supposed to be the place of last resort, but the reality is they are often the first one that overworked
social services and police turn to for women suffering hardship."
"The work of Women's Refuge deserves to be acknowledged, and their pleas for better and broader ranges of services
should be actively supported if we are to reduce family violence"
"Government's Family Violence Taskforce, and pre-Budget announcement of $9 million to address family violence, is simply
not enough," says Mr Harawira. "Women's Refuge are telling us that their houses are full, and that there is still an
ever-increasing demand on their services."
"The responsibility for dealing with this rests with both the government and those communities where family violence
occurs," Mr Harawira said.
"Women's Refuge is working on a plan to help support the increasing numbers of Maori women and children being subjected
to family violence. We support that initiative, and we are more than happy to work with them, and with government to
deal with this problem.
ENDS