Our former Policy Advocacy Lead, Joyce Chia, breaks down our recent submission to the 2022-23 Federal Budget.
Who gets what money in a Federal Budget has enormous effects on the services and systems that people depend on. For example, the Budget can shape responses to family and domestic violence and mental health, and contribute to Closing the Gap with First Nations people. Ultimately, budgets shape the health, justice and wellbeing outcomes for millions of Australians.
As part of its budget process, the Australian Government invites submissions from the public to help inform budget policies and priorities. It’s a great opportunity for people and organisations outside the government to have a say in where the money goes.
We submitted a proposal through this process for the upcoming budget asking the government for three things – a small number, but with potentially significant impacts.
Our asks
1. To build and scale up investment in health justice partnerships to improve responses to family and domestic violence
We said that, in the next National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, it’s time to build on the successes of health justice partnerships responding to family and domestic violence by scaling them nationally to at least 16 locations, and with a particular focus on regional areas.
2. To embed legal assistance into the Head to Health sites designed to improve adult mental health
We told the Australian Government that, when expanding its Head to Health sites, it should integrate legal assistance into these service responses, building upon the evidence of the value of legal help in mental healthcare.
3. To support Closing the Gap through health justice partnerships led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We also endorsed the proposal made by the National Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) for a similar investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led models of health justice partnership. NACCHO has identified Health Justice Australia as a partner in this proposal, building on our record of developing capability across the national network.
The need to invest in building capability was a core theme of our submission. We emphasised that successful collaboration requires a key ingredient: partnership. That involves processes, relationships and capabilities so partners can work successfully towards identifying and reaching shared goals.
Importantly, building and sustaining a successful partnership requires investment. Working together takes effort. That effort has to be meaningfully factored into timeframes, service design, funding arrangements, and outcomes and reporting frameworks.
So, with a view to simplicity in a complex environment, Health Justice Australia has asked for those three things; three things that the Australian Government could do now that would make a real difference in the lives of people. But we don’t plan on stopping there. We’ll keep on asking those who can make and influence decisions to keep supporting health justice partnerships to do the vital work they’re doing and, ultimately, support them to improve the lives of the people they’re here to help.
