ABC Radio Perth Mornings
E&OE
Subjects: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse
GEOFF HUTCHISON:
There is a crucial question surrounding the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse that remains unanswered. The final report was delivered today. This is a crucial question, because it lies at the core of our response to this incredible five-year journey of discovery and revelation and truth-telling. It is the $4 billion redress scheme that is to be an acknowledgement on our part of the harm done to thousands of fellow Australians. A bill’s been introduced into Parliament. It requires states and territories to say yes to funding it, and until they do, many other institutions who also need to commit dollars won’t. I’ve spoken to the Social Services Minister Christian Porter about this on several occasions. He has carriage of trying to build this redress framework that everyone signs up to, and it is hard.
Christian Porter, good morning to you.
CHRISTIAN PORTER:
Yeah, good morning, Geoff. How are you?
GEOFF HUTCHISON:
Look, this is such a historic day, after five long years. The Royal Commission’s been a triumph of professionalism and respect and empathy, but where are we at with this redress scheme?
CHRISTIAN PORTER:
Well, today’s not the day for exhibiting frustration with other jurisdictions or churches or charities for not yet having made their decision to opt in to the national scheme that we have legislated for, but I think that that day’s probably fast approaching.
I think today’s the day about considering, as you know, how momentous this is: 409 recommendations in total, 189 new recommendations, Australia’s longest running public inquiry.
But we need to acknowledge the bravery, the courage of all of the survivors and their families that gave evidence, that today also of course marks the end of information gathering and the start of thorough-going reform. And of course, there have been interim reports, so the Commonwealth has already responded in a number of ways, but in terms of other jurisdictions, and particularly the churches and the charities, the non-government institutions involved, this is the day where there must be the moves towards a decision on redress and the opting in. And this has to happen, as I’ve said before, much sooner rather than later.
GEOFF HUTCHISON:
Okay. Can you tell us on what basis are states balking?
CHRISTIAN PORTER:
Well, that’s not language that I would choose. I mean, it is immensely complicated. The states and territories in each jurisdiction have been consulting and negotiating and refining with me and the Commonwealth in good faith for many months now, and without having perfect line of sight into each of the jurisdictions’ decision-making processes, it’s my sense that we are on the verge of having the first states and territories opt in. We know for sure the Commonwealth will be in; we know for sure the Northern Territory and the ACT will be in, because we have indicated that we will compel if we have to, but those jurisdictions have indicated that they’ll come in. New South Wales and Victoria have given public indications that the likelihood is that they will opt in, but they’ve yet to make their formal decision.
We’re really awaiting formal decisions from the larger jurisdictions, but it’s not merely the jurisdictions, of course, Geoff, it is the institutions themselves; the churches, the charities, the Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the Salvation Army, and many others. And I think now the final Royal Commission report is that last piece of this very long, arduous and complicated process. And now that that report is out, I think the time for offering up reasons to not do something has ended, and the time for showing that you will do something is upon us.
GEOFF HUTCHISON:
Okay. It was a couple of months ago Francis Sullivan from the Catholic Church’s Truth, Justice and Healing Council was in our studio. It’s estimated, I think, that the Catholic Church is looking at being required to pay out $1 billion to abuse survivors. Do you remain confident- and indeed, Francis Sullivan in the studio said yes, we are going to do this, but we do want to know that we’re doing it in the same time as the states. Is it about aligning all these groups at the one time, or are you anxious that if there’s a chink in that at all, that you will then have to push organisations to do the right thing here?
CHRISTIAN PORTER:
Well, I think that the first point to note is we simply, the Commonwealth Government, do not have the power to compel a church or charity into the scheme. So we can exert moral pressure, as can the survivors, and as can the media, and as can the Australian public at large, but we don’t have a compulsory power to force in any institution.
But I think your observation that the first large institution or large state to opt in, is showing a leadership role, and from that point, I perceive that there will be a number of other states and institutions falling in. And I’m very happy of course, Geoff, to talk to you about this at length because I think it’s very important. But of course, fundamentally the decisions are going to be made by John Quigley here as the State Attorney-General and by the leadership of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Diocese in our jurisdiction here in WA.
And I do think also that it is a time now that the Royal Commission has given its final recommendations that it’s not merely Francis but others who present publicly and give clear indication as to what they intend to do with respect to the national scheme. And the legislation is in Parliament. There have been months and months of negotiations, enormous detail and correspondence and questions have been asked and answered by the Commonwealth in good faith.
GEOFF HUTCHISON:
Are you worried- I know we’re getting really close to the news. Are you worried about any of this? Are you worried about the future of redress, or do you fully expect those who have to come to the table will do so?
CHRISTIAN PORTER:
I think they will do the right thing. I think that the moral pressure that will be exerted by the Australian public at large will be so overwhelming that, in the end, few will have much choice but to opt in to the scheme, and I must say that my negotiations, particularly with the larger states and New South Wales and Victoria, has been very positive, very constructive, they have acted reasonably and in good faith, and what we are now awaiting is essentially their formal decision.
GEOFF HUTCHISON:
Thank you very much for talking to me.
CHRISTIAN PORTER:
Thank you, Geoff. Cheers.
GEOFF HUTCHISON:
Christian Porter, Minister for Social Services. Looking at $200,000 for individuals originally, now $150,000 but with a low threshold of judgement. We are planning to make this as easy as possible – I wonder if it will be.