Media Releases by Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
Ensuring child support is paid to care for young Australians
The Morrison Government is introducing new measures to drive down unpaid child support, targeting child support owed by more than 18,000 parents to ensure children,…
National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-32 draft released for public comment
The draft National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032 outlines a shared long-term commitment to a future free from all forms of…
Supporting women on temporary visas experiencing family, domestic and sexual violence
The Morrison Government continues to support women and children on temporary visas who are experiencing family, domestic or sexual violence. In March last year the…
Funding boost for frontline family, domestic and sexual violence services
The $260 million National Partnership on Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence is being rolled out today with states and territories now having received their first…
Training to support women experiencing violence in disasters
Frontline responders will be offered training to help identify and support women and children who are experiencing family and domestic violence during natural disasters and…
Additional funding to improve child outcomes by supporting fathers
The Morrison Government has committed an additional $4.1 million over two years to The Fathering Project so that fathers across the country can connect through…
Emergency support for ABSTUDY recipients boarding away from home
The Morrison Government is ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students receiving ABSTUDY who are boarding have financial support to travel home during emergencies. Minister…
Increased funding to uphold the rights of people with disability
Disability representative organisations will receive more than $5.3 million over two years, a new national advocacy secretariat will be established to streamline advice and increase…
Better supporting senior Australian to access their home equity
The Morrison Government is rebranding the Pension Loans Scheme to be known as the Home Equity Access Scheme and reducing the interest rate from 4.50…
Community Services Ministers’ Meeting Communiqué
Community Services Ministers (CSM) met via videoconference on 8 December 2021. After endorsement from the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments and the Aboriginal…
Mobile payments now available for Cashless Debit Card participants
From today, Cashless Debit Card holders who bank through Indue will be able to make payments using their smartphone device. Minister for Families and Social…
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Early Childhood Strategy Released
The Morrison Government, in partnership with SNAICC – the National Voice for our Children, has today released the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Early…
Cashless Debit Cards now available through the Traditional Credit Union
Traditional Credit Union has now begun issuing Cashless Debit Cards in the Northern Territory to new program participants. Minister for Families and Social Services Anne…
New Year’s indexation to increase payments for 1 million recipients
More than 1 million recipients of youth, student, and carer allowances will receive a boost to their payments from 1 January 2022 to help them…
Landmark strategy to support Australians with disability
A transformative new strategy supported by targeted action plans and a robust outcomes framework will help drive change for people with disability over the next…
Volunteer Grants inject $18 million into local communities
In a huge boost for Australia’s volunteers, the Morrison Government has today announced more than $18 million as part of the 2021 Volunteer Grants, which…
Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit to amplify the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls
The Morrison Government will invest $2.8 million over three years to deliver the final stage of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) Project. This…
Improving the National Redress Scheme
More survivors of institutional child sexual abuse will now be eligible to receive redress as the Morrison Government delivers on its commitment to expand Funder…
Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission to provide national leadership and accountability
The Morrison Government will invest $22.4 million over five years to establish a Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission to oversee the implementation of the…
Continued support for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants
Today marks the 12th anniversary of the National Apology for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants. This day is a solemn reminder of the terrible…
$85 million to strengthen families in the NT and APY Lands
The Australian and Northern Territory governments are delivering a joint initiative to better support families in the NT and Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, South Australia,…
Australians taking action to Stop it at the Start and prevent disrespect
The Morrison Government’s Stop it at the Start campaign is encouraging adults to “unmute” themselves and call out disrespectful attitudes and behaviours. Evaluation research shows…
Cashless Debit Card participants offered more choice in banking
The Morrison Government has entered into a partnership with the Traditional Credit Union to increase banking services options for Cashless Debit Card participants in the…
National Centre to provide leadership in supporting victims and survivors of child sexual abuse
Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of the National Apology for Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, commemorating the childhoods that were stolen and…
New payment to help women escape violent relationships
From Tuesday the Morrison Government will provide women leaving a violent relationship access to a one-off payment of up to $5,000 to help them establish…