Labour women's affairs spokesperson Dianne Yates said the Government must do more than talk about proper individual behaviour and must adequately fund women's refuges.

In the 1999 budget, government funding for Women's Refuge was cut by $50,000 - a $96,000 reduction allowing for an inflation adjustment.

"The Minister of Women's Affairs, Georgina Te Heuheu, may make an impassioned plea to the men of New Zealand to change their way, but this individualisation of the problem avoids having to address a more structural approach. The Government must adequately fund refuges because of the difficulty of such homes in getting corporate funding. No women's refuge can carry a conspicuous commercial logo and without advertising corporate support is hard to come by.

"The National Government has consistently ignored research about domestic violence, about programmes, about a systematic approach. The Government is even now attacking legal aid rather then the causes for demand on legal aid.

"While it is important that individuals stop beating their partners and children, the Government must take a closer look at the recommendations made in a number of research papers about domestic violence, attitudes to violence, and men and violence.

"They must also reconsider the findings of such pilot programmes as the HAIPP programme in Hamilton and take a holistic rather than piecemeal approach."

Dianne Yates said she came away from the Women's Refuge appeal launch in Wellington today angry at the Government's lip service to a major problem in our society.

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