Lisa Singh

HON JENNY MACKLIN MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES

MEMBER FOR JAGAJAGA

SENATOR LISA SINGH

SENATOR FOR TASMANIA

Tasmanian Premier, Will Hodgman must show his support for a national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse.

In Melbourne today, the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee has heard distressing evidence of the Hodgman Liberal government’s refusal to engage with stakeholders about a national redress scheme for the survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

The Committee, of which Senator Singh is a member, listened to testimony today from Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) CEO Leonie Sheedy that Mr Hodgman has not made any effort to respond to inquiries about whether his government supports a national redress scheme.

Ms Sheedy confirmed that Tasmania has been “very silent” on redress. In fact, although she tried to get the Hodgman government’s position prior to the election, “nobody would bother to reply.”

The Tasmanian government’s indifference to the valid concerns of institutional abuse survivors is extremely disappointing.

Mr Hodgman’s snubbing of abuse survivors compounds his government’s refusal to pass legislation removing the three year statute of limitation after abuse is discovered for victims of historic child abuse to launch court action.

Every other state in Australia has now gotten rid of the statute of limitation except Tasmania. Removing it would allow all victims of historic child abuse, not only victims of institutional abuse, to seek compensation.

The Senate Committee will be making recommendations based on today’s evidence about deficiencies in the Turnbull government’s legislation establishing the redress scheme across the country.

Federal Labor strongly encourages all states and institutions to sign up to a national redress scheme as soon as possible.

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

We don’t want to see survivors of child sexual abuse short-changed.

More information can be found on the Inquiry’s home page.

TUESDAY, 6 MARCH 2017

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