With the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse handing over its final report today, the Liberal and Labor parties must commit to funding a redress scheme for survivors of past abuse.
A national redress scheme for survivors of abuse is a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse and all states, including Tasmania, need to contribute.
The Royal Commission report on redress was handed down in 2015, yet Premier Will Hodgman has still not made a commitment to contributing towards a redress scheme for Tasmanian survivors of abuse in institutional settings. The estimated cost of $1.7 million a year to the State is a small price to pay to give more than 1700 affected Tasmanians some semblance of justice.
Work on the national redress scheme was recommended to start in July 2017, with payments supposed to be made available to survivors from July 2018. One deadline is long gone, and the other is fast approaching.
The Greens have been asking questions in Budget Estimates and Parliament for more than a year and half. We have been getting the same noncommittal and bland platitudes from the Premier. The time for prevaricating has passed. Tasmanian survivors need to know their State will sign on to the national scheme.
Survivors of institutional sexual abuse deserve an immediate, full commitment from both Will Hodgman and Rebecca White that Tasmania will be part of, and contribute towards, the national redress scheme for survivors of past abuse.
Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens leader
