1. thesundaymail.com.au NEWS 21
Church
Stretched funds help for
scared
lost on seminar
Kelmeny Fraser
Consumer affairs
training budgets for the year
on attending this event when
families
Jackie Sinnerton
CHURCHES could be the
saviour of families living with
domestic violence.
they might have been able to A Queensland academic be-
DOMESTIC violence work- go to another event and got “Funding is incredibly lieves the neighbourhood par-
ers who paid hundreds of value for money,’’ she said. ish needed to play a bigger
dollars to attend a Queens- Conference delegates were stretched as far as family role.
land conference have lodged told on the first day that the ‘‘It needs to be easier for
an official complaint amid keynote speaker had missed
violence is concerned and frightened families to come
claims they were ripped off. his plane and would be arriv- people have spent their forward,’’ said Dr Lynne
The non-arrival of a key- ing later. Baker, who has researched
note speaker, conference kits But the speaker denied the entire training budgets for and written Counselling
consisting of just a few pieces explanation, telling The Sun- Christian Women on How to
of paper in a bag, poor sound day Mail he had informed the year on attending this Deal with Domestic Violence.
and visual equipment, a lack
of support staff, no
organisers days before the
conference he had been
event when they might Her comments come after
The Sunday Mail last week
Australian-based contact and forced to withdraw. have been able to go to revealed thousands of
a lack of quality information Several workers who Queensland women in high-
on the subject were among attended the Gold Coast con- another event and got risk domestic situations were
the concerns.
An official complaint has
ference have claimed SOS
Medical-related products
value for money” being turned away from life-
saving support services.
been lodged with the Queens- were promoted at the event. CRISIS WORKER JANE ASHTON The Coroner’s office is also
land Office of Fair Trading ‘‘I thought it was outrage- reviewing hundreds of suspic-
about the poor standard of ous,’’ said one speaker, who ious deaths amid fears the
the event. asked not to be named death toll from domestic viol-
The conference was run by because of her domestic viol- ence could be far greater than
Tom Callagcan, the chief ence work. thought.
executive of SOS Medical ‘‘It was the organisation Dr Baker said selected con-
Tourism Services, which spec- and quality of the conference gregation members could help
ialises in trips to Thailand for that was insulting. frightened families with shop-
Australians wanting cosmetic ‘‘If it wasn’t for the quality ping and appointments, offer
surgery, dental work and of the delegates and the safe computer access, keep
reconstructive surgery. Aboriginal people from all emergency escape suitcases,
Up to 200 domestic viol- over Australia it would have mind pets and offer temporary
ence workers from across been a disaster.’’ accommodation.
Australia arrived on the Gold But Mr Callagcan denied ‘‘Members of the clergy
Coast for the $700-a-head the company was promoted at must be willing to clearly
event on May 17, which had the conference. address issues of domestic
been promoted by the Thai- ‘‘There was nothing with abuse with their congregations
based Global Coalition SOS Medical on it, that’s for as well as making a commit-
Against Domestic Violence as sure, but what would be ment to networking with
the nation’s biggest confer- wrong with that?’’ he asked. organisations already estab-
ence on indigenous domestic ‘‘We have had more positive “From our point the lished,’’ she said.
violence. feedback than anything – However, Karen Walsh, the
But the three-day confer- 99.9 per cent was positive. conference was well run. chief executive of Micah Pro-
ence instead sparked a string
of complaints against SOS,
‘‘From our point, the con-
ference was well run. There
There were a couple of jects, warned it was not the
answer for everyone.
whose director also chairs the were a couple of hiccups hiccups which we fixed ‘‘Not everyone relates to a
Global Coalition Against which we fixed but no confer- faith community and that
Domestic Violence. ence is without that.’’ but no conference is makes it hard for many to
Victorian crisis worker
Jane Ashton lodged a com-
Speakers and delegates
were asked to pay registration
without that.’’ come forward,’’ she said.
‘‘In many cases a person
plaint with Fair Trading and fees to attend plus cover SOS MEDICAL’S TOM CALLAGCAN cannot approach the church
has asked for her money back. travel and accommodation because the perpetrator is a
‘‘Throughout Australia, expenses. A council, the Uni- member of that church.’’
funding is incredibly versity of Queensland and The Uniting Church and
stretched as far as family several government-funded many other denominations
violence is concerned and services were among organis- also have their own counsell-
people have spent their entire ations to pick up the bill. ing services.
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MAY 29 2011 Page 21
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