Tough times are exactly when we must invest in what matters most.

When things are hard, it’s tempting to tighten our belts and batten down the hatches.

But that’s not how you build a strong, safe, thriving Victoria.

Every Budget tells a story about the state of our State — what we value, what we fear, and what we’re willing to walk past.

Right now, Victoria’s story sits against a backdrop of growing economic inequity and social fragmentation – fuelled by the realities of rising cost of living, the housing crisis, community safety concerns, reverberations of international conflicts and intensifying climate impacts. Our social and economic fabric is under real strain.    

Meanwhile, the public purse is under pressure. There’s lots of talk about debt, budget repair, fiscal austerity and ‘efficiencies’.

In this context, some might say that now is not the time to invest in tackling root causes of entrenched problems like housing insecurity, family violence, climate-related impacts, social cohesion or the sharp edge of poverty. Some might say that’s in the ‘too-hard basket.’

They’d be wrong.

Now is precisely the time for smart investments that prevent social and economic problems from escalating and compounding, or ideally from starting in the first place.

With the political will to prioritise what matters most, we can break vicious cycles of crisis-end spending, avoiding long-term costs through prevention and early intervention.

By investing in what will pay off in the long run, Victorians can have secure housing, good healthcare, and genuine safety and security in their families and communities.

And critical to this is Victoria’s community sector – the fastest growing industry in the State, whose workforce shows up every day for people doing it tough.

Community services are operating under immense pressure, with rising demand, a changing regulatory landscape and a highly feminised workforce carrying the emotional load of the state’s most difficult and complex social issues.

No austerity agenda can fix entrenched problems like housing insecurity, family violence, social cohesion or the sharp edge of poverty.

Our sector deserves respect, fair funding and industry development support to meet the challenges of our times and keep doing what Victorians rely on. 

If we want a stronger, safer, fairer Victoria, we must invest across the whole spectrum of support – from crisis response to long-term recovery – but especially in the early intervention and prevention efforts that stop harm before it takes root. And we must invest in a skilled, flourishing, future-focused community sector that delivers across that spectrum of support.

That is how we stabilise our communities.

That is how we strengthen our economy.

And that is how ensure the things that matter most are never pushed into the too-hard basket.

Juanita Pope
VCOSS CEO

People are hurting. It’s time for a budget focused on care – and the care economy.

A note from VCOSS CEO Juanita Pope

In a time of constrained fiscal conditions and mounting social disunity, there’s one thing most of our state – indeed our country – can agree on: people are hurting.

The current cost of living is placing immense strain on Victorians. Many people are being pushed to the brink, an increasing number skipping meals just to pay the rent.
This is not a new phenomenon – it’s just more visible. Well before the cost-of-living crisis became a media talking point, 800,000 Victorians were living in poverty. The current situation is symptomatic of deep rooted social and economic inequality.

Now is the time for strong, compassionate, smart responses from government. And bold action on poverty and economic exclusion.

Governments make choices about how public funds will be spent. That’s what budgets are for. The choices that government makes – who it chooses to invest in – send a powerful message, especially to people who need support. If decisions are made that prioritise commercial interests over the wellbeing of people, this is not only socially and morally unsound, it’s economically shortsighted.

A truly prosperous economy is one that enables all citizens to thrive – that lifts them up when they are down. It’s an economy underpinned by robust, holistic foundational supports – things like housing, healthcare, good schooling, childcare, community connections and the skills to get a decent job and lead a fulfilling life.

Investing in these foundations – and in the services that provide them – is key to Victoria’s economic and social prosperity. Drip-fed, short term, siloed support will not cut it.

In 2025, Victoria needs a budget that values care and focuses on the care economy. When we invest in care and wellbeing, we unlock the potential for a more resilient, inclusive economy.

The organisations that deliver care and social supports for Australians – including health and human services, children’s early education and community development – represent the largest employing industry in the country. They offer enormous potential for economic and social returns.

As more Victorians turn to care services in hard times, Victoria should invest in the sector that has caring at its core. Investing in the care economy not only generates real jobs, but also builds a solid social foundation – both for Victorians who are hurting right now, and for future generations.

When we invest in care and wellbeing, we unlock the potential for a more resilient, inclusive economy.

Victoria’s investment in the care economy must be approached strategically. We need to ensure support for the workers who make the industry successful and sustainable. Boosted resources for workforce development, core operations and care infrastructure will ensure that the care economy remains a stable, sustainable driver of good jobs, social wellbeing and economic growth. This allows us to tackle both immediate needs and long-term challenges, like the ageing population and the escalating impacts of climate change.

It’s about priorities.

Compassionate and smart policy-making puts social equity and human wellbeing as its central tenets.

It’s time for leaders to return to the basics: alleviate poverty, provide essential services, help people and invest in care that works.

Only when we prioritise these fundamental pillars will we achieve an inclusive, sustainable economy that our society desperately needs.

Juanita Pope
VCOSS CEO

GUEST POST

I have stood across the street from neo-Nazi more than once. I came out in London in the mid-eighties when bands of skinhead thugs and National Front bully-boys would march alongside the pride parades spitting abuse and yelling sieg heil.

I was young, in my early twenties, coming out into a world that was vastly different to the one I’m living in today, but that threat — of masked black-clad men in steel-capped boots — has been around for decades — it is just more and less visible, more and less prevalent.

I’ve learnt a lot since those early days about how we live with that threat and about what makes me and my community feel safe. Right now, we’ve just finished up Pride month, a celebration of queer identity and resistance that marks the historic Stonewall riots when, for the very first time in history, queer people were seen in numbers on the streets.

On that day in 1969, we became visible; that’s the importance of Stonewall and of Pride month and, since then, that visibility has been the cornerstone of our freedom. It’s very simple: if we are not visible, if we can’t be seen, we don’t exist — neither to the world, nor to ourselves.

Our events — rainbow balls, drag story times, glitter bingo nights — are about visibility. They are where we see others like us, and where we connect and build community. They are where our young people see the versions of themselves that survived high school; where they see a range of queer people living ordinary, productive lives with partners, kids, lovers, jobs, families and friends.

So, we need people to stop cancelling them.

Now, I know that’s easier said than done, that there are complexities and challenges, and I’m not suggesting there’s a simple solution, but here’s the thing.

Last month, I participated in an event that involved bringing a hundred plus queer young people from all around rural and regional Victoria to a central Melbourne location for a full day of activities with twenty leading LGBTIQ advocates. It was carefully advertised and ticketed, met all Child Safe Standards, had effective security, including a low-key queer police presence. And, it went off without a hitch.

It sent a huge message to those young people that their community sees them, has their back, and will continue to make them safe despite what they see on TV and social media. For those kids, it was a rare day of connection and celebration; they felt proud, hopeful, and part of a community, and all that helps to inoculate them against the hate.

The event was the brain-child of Merrin Wake, a leading advocate who works with queer young people, particularly in rural and remote areas. Wake is also an expert in child safety and the success of the day is a very clear indication that it is possible to run LGBTIQ events successfully and safely in Victoria right now.

So if you’re in the business of running community events and you’re thinking about organising something for the LGBTIQ community, either for kids or adults — or for any other minority, vulnerable or threatened group for that matter — here’s a few things to include in your thinking. They’re not all necessary for every event, of course, but I’m hoping they’ll put a break on the current trend of cancelling events for our ‘safety’.

First, please, take a breath. Run a risk assessment for holding the event. Focus on your immediate local community, not what you’ve read in the paper. Consult with all your stakeholders and make sure that includes queer representatives. Contact your local Victorian Police LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officer and get the most up to date, regional intel and advice. Liaise with other similar organisations in your area and find out what they’re doing. Create a network with them and share those ideas and strategies. Talk to queer community groups supporting the safe running of events.

Identify risk mitigation strategies. Think about the language you use (maybe rainbow rather than drag for the time being) and about how you advertise. Be strategic and creative about ticketing and promotion. Use personal and trusted networks rather than large public platforms. Take the time to follow up with individual enquires and use a private link for registrations.

Brief your workers and volunteers well before the event. Give them an opportunity to talk through their concerns. Provide details of support and counselling services for both your queer and non-queer staff. Remind them of your Employee Assistance Programs (did you know there is LGBTIQ specific EAP?). Set up safe spaces for people during the event and provide extra mental health support and opportunities for de-briefing if required. Review Working with Children Checks and think about your adult to child ratios.

Pay attention to your security. Check in with your local police station and LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers in the early planning stages. They can help you develop a safety plan to manage different threat levels. Work with your communications team to develop a strategy for managing and monitoring your social media. If you experience negative commentary or hate speech, contact the eSafety Commissioner or your local police.

Employ on-site security for your event to keep an eye on the door or the surrounding environment. Have a list of expected attendees, provide staff with lanyards, and issue wrist bands to participants. Identify key personnel and give them walkie talkies for ease of quick communication, and have contact details of local police to hand.

Then if you’ve done all that, and you still think the easiest option is to put it in the too hard basket, run a second risk assessment on cancelling the event. Ask yourself: What impact will cancelling have on our local LGBTIQ community, especially young people? How will it affect other vulnerable or marginalised communities in our area? What message will it send to the people threatening the event? What happens if, next, they threaten the Jewish community, or target the local mosque, or attack people of colour? What about our multi-cultural celebrations? Will we cancel them, too? And are we still going to run NAIDOC events to support and celebrate our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?

Finally, and most importantly, think about the immediate impact of not running the event on the people for whom it was originally intended. In most cases, these events are cancelled because organisers don’t want queer people, especially young people, to witness overt aggression and hostility, to be exposed to vitriol and hate, to feel fearful or scared.

But none of this is new to our young people. Sadly, many of them experience this in their everyday lives; all of them experience it via social media — just talk to any young queer person you know — or any adult queer person for that matter. What they actually need is for the rest of us to acknowledge that reality and they need to see safe adults standing up for them and pushing back against the hate.

Yes, the risk of running these events can be high, but the risk of not running them is far higher. That young person who was going to the rainbow ball or the glitter bingo is instead sitting in their room at home scrolling through Discord by themselves knowing that hate just won again. Cancelling these events will never make it safer for us, nor for whichever marginalised group those emboldened neo-Nazis come for next.

• This article first appeared on Jac’s medium and has been republished with permission.

VCOSS submission to the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality

Gender equality is a fundamental human right and is essential to achieving a fairer and more prosperous Australia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that women continue to shoulder an unequal burden of unpaid work and care.

Women are more likely to take time out of the workforce to care for children, elderly parents and friends and family members with disabilities. They are also more likely to work part time or in casual roles to meet their caring responsibilities.

As a result, they earn less, are less likely to advance in their careers, and have lower superannuation balances on retirement.

BUDGET ANALYSIS

This is a long-form analysis of the Victorian Government’s investments in housing and homelessness. For a quick summary of specific Budget program expenditure in this space click here.

Off the back of a record $3.5 billion investment in the family violence system since Victoria’s landmark Royal Commission into Family Violence in 2015, the 22-23 Budget continues the commitment to supporting family violence services and systems reform, with an additional $240 million.

This includes funding to build new refuge and crisis accommodation, invest in crisis case management and therapeutic support, deliver perpetrator intervention programs (including building the evidence base around what works), expand the Central Information Point and better support victims of sexual violence and harm.

VCOSS is pleased to see that this Budget has delivered an uplift in funding to support crisis case management, and funding to support Sexual Assault Services Victoria. However, we note that a sustainable funding increase is needed in the specialist family violence sector to ensure that services can respond to both increased demand and complexity of cases.

VCOSS also welcomes the increase in funding to support 12 women’s health services across Victoria (including new funding for Women with Disabilities) and support for sexual and reproductive health services. This funding will enable more Victorian women to access the medical and health services they need. It also addresses increased gender inequity across the Victorian healthcare system arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, readdresses systemic underfunding of this part of the sector and aligns with VCOSS’ budget submission.

VCOSS was particularly pleased to see the impact of the new Gender Responsive Budgeting Unit in the Department of Treasury and Finance. This year’s Gender Equality Budget Statement demonstrated real progress towards implementing gender responsive budgeting in Victoria, including discussing how gender impact assessments have occurred across new policy programs (e.g., Head Start and Events Recovery and Support) to help refine the program design and improve gender outcomes. 

We were pleased to see that gender responsive budgeting will be embedded in Victorian legislation to ensure that an equality lens is applied to all future budget processes, and that the Budget affirms the intention that, over time, gender analysis will be applied to every stage of the policy making process – from identifying budget priorities, through to policy design, decision making, implementation and evaluation.

There is a continued need for a greater focus on primary prevention of family violence, including strong investment in Respect Victoria. Whilst we welcome the boost in funding to women’s health services and the Elder Abuse Prevention Networks, VCOSS has long advocated for an increase in funding for family violence prevention from 3 per cent to at least 10 per cent of the total family violence budget, as we believe that this will produce long lasting benefits for the Victorian community in helping stop violence before it starts. Unlike previous years, this Budget did not contain any new funding pools for primary prevention projects.  

VCOSS has long advocated for an increase in funding for family violence prevention from 3 per cent to at least 10 per cent of the total family violence budget

VCOSS welcomes the continued investment in the Equal Workplaces Advisory Council and its focus on undertaking research and providing advice on issues relating to pay equity, equality and productivity in Victorian workplaces. We look forward to seeing the recommendations of the Inquiry into Economic Equity for Women, which was established last year to find solutions for problems such as unequal pay and workplace barriers to women’s success. We note that the Victorian Government has a number of levers at its disposal to effect transformational change for workers in the community services industry – the state’s largest industry based on employment, in which women make up 83.5 per cent of the workforce. Government funding has a direct impact on wages, conditions and the length of employment contracts. We believe that more can be done to advance gender equality and improve pay equity in the sector.

The Budget recognises the increased pressure on child and family services and provides funding to bolster capacity in key parts of the system. We welcome the announcement of $57.6 million over three years to meet increasing demand for targeted and specialised family services and support for up to 1,000 additional vulnerable families. This funding also includes the introduction of a carer help-desk dedicated to assisting carers and providing them with support to acquire a range of essential documents and services for the children and young people in their care.

However, there remains a gap in the funding required to support volunteer foster carers. Despite rising cost of living pressures and the large number of carers exiting the system, there has been no increase or indexation to the Carer Allowance since 2016. VCOSS looks forward to working with Government on this important issue.  

VCOSS would also like to see additional funding provided to expand high-quality evidence-based programs, such as SafeCare, Functional Family Therapy and Caring Dads.

INSIGHTS

Each week, the Men’s Referral Service answers hundreds of calls from men who have been violent.

Here, an anonymous call taker recounts and debunks how these men often seek to justify their own behaviour.

Working as a family violence telephone operator I speak with hundreds of men from many different relationship and life contexts. When I speak to men that have chosen to behave in a way that causes problems for their family and relationships, the theme of ‘responsibility’ commonly comes out of our conversations.

It sounds simple, that we are responsible for our own behaviour. However, accepting responsibility can be a big challenge if we have chosen to behave in a way that physically or emotionally hurts someone, especially those closest to us. It’s common to encounter self-imposed barriers to owning our choices of behaviour that we’re ashamed of.

However, for many men I’ve spoken to who want to work toward safer, happier relationships with their partner or kids, challenging themselves to take responsibility for their own behaviour is an important first step.

Here’s some common barriers I’ve noticed and learned from myself:

“I just snapped” – thinking your emotions control your behaviour

An all too common barrier to change can be the perception that our behaviour is out of our control at times. Many men I work with are reluctant to describe choices of violent behaviour they have made, instead using language that suggests a lack of responsibility; “I just snapped, just lost it”.

When probed as to what this actually looks like, often there’s a description of emotions such as anger, frustration, stress (when probed further; vulnerability, inadequacy). Often violent incidents are described as an overwhelming situation that escalated out of their control, rather than a difficult emotional experience and a choice of abusive behaviour in response to that situation.

This narrative is reinforced for men in public. For example when you hear a footballer talk about choosing to punch an opponent as “an emotional response, bit of a brain fade”, or someone describing a choice to drive dangerously as “road rage”. As convenient and seductive as this excuse is, it becomes dangerous when you consider that difficult emotions are part of life and certainly part of any lengthy relationship.

For many men I’ve worked with, letting down this barrier and accepting that they are in control of how they behave when they experience difficult emotions, has made it easier for them to explore respectful choices of behaviour that contribute to happier relationships and families.

“My buttons were pushed” – thinking other people control your behaviour

If we are reluctant to own our choice of behaviour, it’s common we attribute this responsibility to someone else. Often the men I work with tell me their partner “provoked me” or “pushed my buttons”, automatically shifting blame onto their partner for the violence they used.

Often when this is unpacked in conversation, men I work with can reflect that it was indeed difficult emotions, rather than what they previously perceived as provocation. They’re subsequently able to describe different ways they could have chosen to behave in response to these difficult emotions.

When I ask men I work with what needs to change to move toward safer & more respectful relationships, it’s common for them to focus on what they believe their partner is doing wrong when conflict arises. The irony of trying to control someone else’s behaviour rather than take responsibility for their own doesn’t end there, as for many men it’s maintaining this grip on control that contributes to their difficult emotional state and relationship problems to begin with.

For men I speak with who want to change their use of violent behaviour a big step is letting go of the notion that anyone else can be responsible for it. Once they focus on their own choices of behaviour, it becomes much easier to explore strategies for responding to difficult emotions and choosing behaviour that contributes to respectful, loving relationships.

“I’d had a bit to drink” – thinking alcohol controls your behaviour

At times, men I speak with describe being alcohol affected at the time of using different forms of family violence, and attribute any behaviour to this. Quite often I’ve spoken to men highly remorseful for how they have behaved but very resistant to taking any responsibility for it. They claim that alcohol took control of their behaviour and that for them to change, it’s as simple as them stopping drinking.

While choosing to reduce intake of alcohol can be a useful part of a safety strategy, for some men I’ve worked with it doesn’t address the entire issue. Upon reflection, many men talk about several other incidents in which their partner felt controlled, intimidated or unsafe due to their behaviour though during these times, they had not been alcohol affected. Some go on to reflect that while alcohol affected, they have never been abusive to anyone other than their partner.

These reflections can often suggest a pattern of behaviour that they are choosing to use specifically for their partner. While alcohol can contribute to problems in their relationship, it’s not likely the cause. For most men I talk to who want to change their behaviour and improve their relationships, it’s important they acknowledge their choice of behaviours in addition to any substance use issues.

It’s quite common for the use of abusive and violent behaviour to be minimised as being “blown out of proportion, I didn’t mean to, they’re over reacting”.

“Can’t I defend myself?” – trying to justify your behaviour

At times, a barrier to taking responsibility for some men I engage with is a perception that a choice to use abusive behaviour is justified as a form of ‘self-defence’, when in reality, it’s not.

The concept of self-defence, that your physical safety is under threat and there is no other option than to respond with violence, starts to get a little blurry when you unpack the situation men I work with describe.

Often when we discuss scenarios where these men have used violence, they describe no concern or fear for their immediate safety or physical-wellbeing. Similarly, upon reflection, they can describe numerous other choices in how they could have responded to the scenario that could have diffused any potential danger, such as leaving or calling police.

Upon reflection, many men describe feeling angry and choosing to use violence, rather than a last resort choice to defend themselves. For many of these men I’ve worked with, challenging these perceptions of self-defence and taking responsibility for their choices of behaviour has made it easier for them to respond to conflict in ways that keep themselves and others safer.

“It wasn’t that bad” – not thinking about how others experience your behaviour

With all this focus on our own choices of behaviour and whether or not they are in our control or justified, quite often the experience of those impacted by violence can be dismissed. That is the experience of past or current intimate partners, or that of children exposed to these dynamics between their parents.

These experiences are woven through all the above barriers to taking responsibility. Many men I’ve worked with struggle to empathise and acknowledge how their behaviour impacts their partners, kids or family members. It’s quite common for the use of abusive and violent behaviour to be minimised as being “blown out of proportion, I didn’t mean to, they’re over reacting”, even in instances where police have been called to intervene and those affected have expressed fear.

It can be challenging to listen to and acknowledge how someone has experienced your behaviour if you have hurt them or made them feel unsafe or scared. However, for most men I work with, this can be a big turning point in moving toward happier and more respectful relationships. This involves not just reflecting on individual instances of abusive behaviour, but acknowledging the impact of how patterns of these behaviours can have a cumulative effect on their partners & family members, causing them to feel controlled or fearful.

Likewise, the acknowledgement of how this dynamic between parents impacts children, regardless of if they witness abusive behaviour first hand, can be a huge step in working toward a safer home environment for them to grow up in. The barriers I’ve mentioned start to make less sense for the men I work with once they can empathise with how their partners and kids experience their behaviour.

When men begin to take responsibility for their choices of behaviour and these barriers are easier to overcome.