Federal Election 2016 – Candidates respond to community legal issues

In the lead up to the 2016 Federal Election, ECLC contacted all federal candidates for the House of Representatives in its catchment who are running for the upcoming election.

ECLC respectfully asked candidates to outline their response to key issues facing communities in Melbourne’s east and the community legal sector, including:

1. Commonwealth funding cuts to community legal services
2. Community Law Australia – Fund Equal Justice campaign and recommendations from the Productivity Commission for secure funding of legal assistance
3. Family violence prevention and response
4. Specialist pathways for family violence cases in the courts
5. Elder abuse prevention, education and response
6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice reinvestment

The full letter can be accessed here.

Responses

ECLC will publish candidates’ responses in the lead up to election day on July 2.

Responses received to date can be viewed by electorate or by candidate.

Update

A full response from Stefanie Perri (ALP, Chisholm) was received on June 23 and is available here. (Apologies, as this should have been included in the earlier e-news.)

A response from the Turnbull Coalition Team was received on June 27 and is available here.

A response from Nick McKim, Greens spokesperson for legal affairs, was received on June 30 and is available here.

Funding announcement

On June 16, local ALP Candidates Stefanie Perri (Chisholm) and Tony Clark (Deakin) attended ECLC’s Box Hill office to announce a funding boost of $450,000 over 3 years if elected. Their media release is here.

Twitter

ECLC also contacted candidates via Twitter. Their responses can be viewed here or by clicking through the slideshow below.