NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME

Labor welcomes the announcement today that Victoria and New South Wales will join a national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse. 

 

There is no excuse for any state government, church, institution or non-government organisation not to join, and we urge all states and institutions to sign up to the scheme as soon as possible.

 

Unfortunately it has taken far too long for the Turnbull Government to act on establishing a national redress scheme.

 

In 2015, the Royal Commission made an interim recommendation for a national redress scheme to be operational by July 2017.

 

We strongly encourage the Turnbull Government to increase the maximum compensation amount to survivors to $200,000, as was recommended by the Royal Commission. 

 

Currently the legislation before the Parliament proposes a maximum payment of $150,000 to survivors.

 

On the issue of criminal convictions, Federal Labor believes that the recommendations of the Royal Commission should be implemented - we believe that all survivors should be eligible for redress.

 

The Gillard Labor Government established the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2013.

 

We know how important redress is for the more than 60,000 survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

 

We understand that no amount of money can make up for the pain and trauma experienced by survivors.

 

However redress is an important step along the road to healing for survivors of child sexual abuse.