Labor has announced a new plan to help protect victim-survivors of domestic violence from financial abuse, promising to overhaul tax, superannuation and social security rules if elected on May 3.
The move comes after a surge in reports of financial abuse and growing calls from advocates to make it harder for perpetrators to use money as a weapon.
What’s Labor promising for survivors of domestic violence?
Speaking earlier today at a Per Capita and Chifley Research Centre event, Minister for Finance and Women Katy Gallagher unveiled Labor’s women’s platform. The announcement focused on stopping perpetrators from using the tax and corporate systems to create debts as a form of coercive control. If someone does rack up debts in their partner’s name, Labor wants to make sure the perpetrator is held accountable, not the victim-survivor.
Labor is also looking at making perpetrators liable for social security debts that were run up through coercion or financial abuse, and at ways to stop perpetrators from getting access to their victim’s superannuation after death.
Gallagher said these changes are about making sure perpetrators are accountable for these debts if they do and that it’s time to look at “methods of stopping perpetrators of domestic and family violence from receiving their victim’s superannuation after death”, per The Guardian.
The announcement follows a major Senate inquiry into financial abuse, which made 61 recommendations last December. Those included creating a mechanism co-designed with victim-survivors to help implement new laws and reforms.
Financial abuse is a hidden but powerful form of control. It can look like a partner taking out loans in your name, hiding money, forcing you to pay their debts, or even making you liable for tax bills you never knew existed. Sometimes, it leaves women and children homeless, or unable to escape a violent relationship because they have no financial independence.
When it comes to domestic violence, Gallagher said earlier in the day to ABC News Breakfast, “It remains the biggest barrier to gender equality in this country … The number of women who are murdered or beaten up or hospitalised or traumatised from men’s violence against women.”
“We’re going to continue in a second term to make sure that we can do everything we can to change that, but it is complex, and it requires a whole of community effort.”
What are the other parties saying?
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party says it supports the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children, and promises to “invest significantly in family support services, including emergency payments to assist women and children fleeing domestic violence”, per SBS. The Coalition also wants to create new offences for using technology to stalk or coerce a partner, and to toughen bail laws for these offences.
However, the Liberals haven’t released detailed costings or specific new policies on financial abuse in this campaign. Their plan mostly refers to continuing emergency payments and making it illegal to use spyware or technology for coercive control, but there’s little detail on targeted financial reforms.
The Greens
The Greens are calling for a much bigger investment: a $15 billion plan to address domestic, family and sexual violence. They want to double the Escaping Violence Payment to $10,000, fully fund frontline services, and overhaul banking and credit systems so that financial products can’t be weaponised by abusers.
The Greens also support makinng banks and financial institutions take stronger action against financial abuse, including blocking abusive payment messages, helping victim-survivors repair their credit, and making sure perpetrators — not victims — are held responsible for debts run up through coercion. They want the government to include clear targets to end economic abuse in the National Plan to End Violence Against Women.
What’s next?
Labor’s announcement comes at a time when the urgency to act has never been clearer. According to Australian Femicide Watch by Sherele Moody, 23 women have already been killed in Australia this year, highlighting the devastating impact of domestic violence and the need for stronger protections for victim-survivors.
Help is available.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
If you’re in distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach the Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
To speak to someone about domestic violence, including for help in leaving a violent relationship, please call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
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