Challenges in the legal assistance sector – Managing Director Bevan Warner on The PI Law Show

A highlight from Victoria Legal Aid's Managing Director Bevan Warner on an episode of Nowicki Carbone's 'The PI Law Show' that aired at 8 p.m. Monday 12 September 2016 on c31. On the program Bevan discussed important issues surrounding legal aid and our Means Test Review.

Find out more about our Means Test Review yoursay.vla.vic.gov.au/

Transcript:
John Karantzis:
Bevan, you commenced your role as Managing Director of Victoria Legal Aid in 2008.

Bevan Warner:
Mm.

John Karantzis:
What have you seen over the last eight years or so to be your biggest challenge or challenges?

Bevan Warner:
Well, I think there's a growing income inequality in Australia.

John Karantzis:
Mm.

Bevan Warner:
I think the gap between the haves and the have nots is growing. I think there's a growing coincidence of violence and substance abuse in our community that’s making problems that used to exist more complicated to resolve. So I think the work's getting more difficult. The gap's getting bigger, and that people who aren’t directly connected with what's happening to people who have real problems are unaware and therefore don’t care. I think they should be caring because what we value in Australia is a fair go and, at the moment, we've got people for whom the law exists but whom are locked out of the law.