Qld: Bravehearts cry out for more funds

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2009
Qld: Bravehearts cry out for more funds

BRISBANE, Dec 10 AAP - The founder of one of Australia's best known child protection
organisations says she may be forced to quit her job because of a lack of government funding.

Hetty Johnston, executive director of Bravehearts, announced on Thursday that she and
seven others would have to leave the organisation she founded 13 years ago, because the
Queensland government was refusing to provide extra funds.

Ms Johnston achieved national prominence for her role in unseating former Governor-General
Peter Hollingworth over his failure to act on complaints of abuse when Anglican Archbishop
of Brisbane.

Bravehearts has offices across Australia, including three in Queensland.

Ms Johnston said negotiations with the Queensland government over the past 12 months
had failed to raise the extra $366,000 needed.

"The offer on the table is $725,000 which is no different to, apart from normal indexing
and CPI, what we have been on for the past three years," she told AAP.

"They want us to run psychologists and social workers, which are expensive, from two
offices, and administer that and an education team for $725,000 - it's just not going
to happen.

"We want the premier to override this and provide us with the extra funds. If the state
government can't, we hope the federal government will."

Ms Johnston said if the extra funds could not be found she would have to step down
by Tuesday next week.

Bravehearts provides counselling and support for children under 18 who have been sexually abused.

Ms Johnston said one in five children in Australia was a victim of sexual assault.

AAP peb/pjo/jl

KEYWORD: BRAVEHEARTS

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.