VIC: Federal govt may close legal centres, state warns

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-1999
VIC: Federal govt may close legal centres, state warns

The Victorian government has warned that the federal government will take advantage
of a review of community legal centres, by moving to close them down.

Attorney-General ROB HULLS says the state government may withdraw from the review because
of commonwealth plans to further slash legal aid funding.

Mr HULLS says the legal centres are one of the few avenues open to justice for disadvantaged
people.

He has accused federal Attorney-General DARYL WILLIAMS of paving the way to close the centres.

Mr WILLIAMS has denied the claims on radio 3AW and says review's purpose is not to
close the community legal centres but to look at unfairness in the distribution of commonwealth
and state funding through the centres.

Mr WILLIAM's says people in inner suburbs are extremely well serviced, people in outer
suburbs not so well and people in rural and regional areas are not serviced at all.

Mr HULLS has also raised concerns about the federal government's plans to negotiate
a new legal aid funding agreement, which may lead to cuts of $5.5 million in the state.

Mr HULLS says the moves would be an absolute debacle, delivering a knock-out blow to
legal aid in the state.

AAP RTV ljm/er/tso/

KEYWORD: LEGAL (MELBOURNE)

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