QLS President Christine Smyth has welcomed the news that the federal government will abandon planned funding cuts to Community Legal Centres in the upcoming budget, noting that the decision means that society’s most vulnerable people will continue to be able to access justice.
President Smyth said that the Queensland Law Society had been relentless in its lobbying for a reversal of the cuts, and she was glad that the government was listening.
Ms Smyth said that she hoped the government’s decision was an indication that there may be opportunity for further discussion on legal funding and other issues important to the legal profession.
She said that given the growing need, simply maintaining the current funding was a case of one step forward, two steps back.
It will maintain rather than expand services to deal with the most vulnerable people in our society."
"We need to grow the funding to help people who are suffering problems of unemployment, housing and issues relating to their families."
Christine Smyth noted that hard working lawyers and volunteers in the sector want to give fellow Australians a hand up rather than a hand out.
"Please Mr Attorney General may the people have more."