By Maggie Tait of NZPA

Wellington, Dec 16 NZPA - Money to pay for a new Maori family violence campaign would be funded out of a budget originally tagged to ensure victims in courts got the help they needed.

Labour deputy leader Annette King questioned Ministry of Social Development (MSD) chief executive Peter Hughes about the campaign when he appeared before Parliament's social services select committee this morning.

Associate Social Development and Employment Minister Tariana Turia yesterday announced a new Aroha in Action campaign, as part of the Maori family violence strategy she launched in August.

Mrs Turia said the campaign would send a message about the importance and benefits of loving, caring and being with family.

The campaign included a resource book, advertisements on iwi radio and in Mana Magazine and on videos used in hospital and doctor waiting rooms.

Mr Hughes said the campaign was running in two month blocks costing $60,000 each.

"That is, I believe, being funded out of an unspent appropriation that was going to look at how we might put victims' advocacy services in courts," he said.

"Given the Ministry of Justice is reviewing the Domestic Violence Act and is looking at all of those court processes and the various roles that are played it was considered best to spend that money on direct family violence services, part of which will be that campaign."

Mr Hughes said the campaign complemented the "It's not OK" ad campaign about family violence which had funding until June and then the ministry would seek more.

Mrs Turia yesterday said in the 2008/09 year of the 54 homicide offences classed as murders, 23 were recorded as family violence murders.

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