There is considerable evidence to show that most victims of domestic violence are women and their children, and that there are strong links between domestic and family violence and child protection concerns.
 
We believe that such an intervention will have a disempowering impact for victims of domestic violence, primarily women who have already been significantly disempowered by their controlling and abusive partners. It will also adversely impact on the children affected by the violence and abuse because of the negative impact on their mother.
 
We are concerned that implicit in the introduction of the legislation is an inherent perception (and this perception will be perpetuated) that women experience financial problems after their experience of violence and abuse because they are poor at managing their finances. Not because of the violence and abuse per se.
 
It is well documented and understood that experiencing violence and abuse, and leaving an abusive relationship causes a great financial toll on a women and her children. 
 
The list includes costs related to property damage, rent or mortgage arrears, relocation, setting up a new household, buying replacement clothes and personal items for herself and her children, legal costs, non-payment of child support, loss of employment income, medical and other health costs, counselling and other support for herself and her children, and we could go on. The Access Economics report has detailed these costs at great length. The primary cost is borne by the victim and strongly related to the consequences of pain and suffering. It does not make any sense at all to ignore these findings and again blame the victims for not ‘managing’ their finances rather than acknowledge the real financial cost of being a victim of violence and abuse.
 
This intervention is counterproductive and the cost of its introduction and implementation would be better spent supporting the victims of violence and abuse to get on their feet financially, as quickly as possible, with material aid. It would also be better spent providing sufficient resources to specialist domestic and family violence support services to provide additional programs focused on financial independence and management skills, where necessary, along with strengthening the work already undertaken to alleviate the impacts of the violence and abuse on the children and young people involved.