Petition to Commonwealth Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus KC MP: Fund Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Services now
Add your signature below
Who's signing
-
Peta from WA signed 6 days ago
-
Anna from NSW signed 6 days ago
-
Jasper from NSW signed 10 days ago
-
Tara from NSW signed 32 days ago
-
Bree from NSW signed 34 days ago
-
Adam from NSW signed 35 days ago
-
Sharni from NSW signed 46 days ago
-
Josephine from NSW signed 50 days ago
-
Johannah from VIC signed 51 days ago
-
Dominique from NSW signed 52 days ago
-
Ben from ACT signed 58 days ago
-
Audrey from NSW signed 58 days ago
-
Miranda from NSW signed 86 days ago
-
tyler from NSW signed 100 days ago
-
Fiona from NSW signed 104 days ago
-
Christy from WA signed 106 days ago
-
Siara from NSW signed 108 days ago
-
Hilary from NSW signed 111 days ago
-
khetala from NSW signed 146 days ago
-
James from NSW signed 148 days ago
-
Brooke from NSW signed 150 days ago
-
Lauren from QLD signed 151 days ago
-
Rodney from NSW signed 152 days ago
-
Thomas from VIC signed 154 days ago
-
Slavica from ACT signed 162 days ago
-
Monica from NSW signed 174 days ago
-
Karen from NSW signed 175 days ago
-
Daniel from NSW signed 176 days ago
-
Kelly from NSW signed 182 days ago
-
Fatima from NSW signed 183 days ago
1,825 have already signed.
Let's get to 1,500
Update: Thank you for helping us reach 1,000 signatures! In light of the incredible support we've received, we have increased our goal to 1,500 signatures. Please keep spreading the word!
Dear Attorney-General,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) are calling for emergency funding from the Commonwealth to prevent imminent service freezes across the country and ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to have access to culturally safe legal representation and support.
If these critical services are frozen, the result will be devastating: more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody, more families being torn apart by child removal and family violence, more children in prison and more intergenerational trauma.
I call on the Federal Government to immediately implement a $250 million emergency funding package to maintain current services which consists of:
- $54 million ‘ATSILS Workforce Continuity Fund’ to be delivered over the next six months to immediately fund additional external support where ATSILS lawyers are unable to reach clients and to start recruitment for new permanent staff
- Additional $196 million over FY2023-24 & FY24-25 which is necessary simply to maintain current levels of service and prevent freezes in certain locations.
I support the Federal Government in making an investment in services that work instead of letting these vital services collapse. I urge you to demonstrate your commitment to listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
The time to act is now.