National Redress Scheme moves a step closer

The Australian Government has agreed or agreed in principle to all of the recommendations from a Senate Committee inquiry into legislation to create a National Redress Scheme.

The Minister for Social Services Dan Tehan tabled the Government response to the Senate Community Affairs Committee’s report into the Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2017.

“This is another positive step towards the planned start of the scheme on 1 July 2018, clearing the way for broad support when the Parliament votes on the final bill in June,” Mr Tehan said.

“While the Commonwealth Bill has now been replaced by the National Bill, many of the issues raised by the Committee overlap both pieces of legislation. The Government has provided this response to clarify the Government position on these issues.

“I thank the members of the Committee for their constructive work, and I welcome their support for the fundamental design of the scheme.”

The report made 11 recommendations, ranging from the way counselling and support services should be provided, through to the amount of time people have to accept an offer of redress.

The recommendations of the report have been considered in the development of a final National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018 that is currently being debated in the House of Representatives. Should this Bill pass the Parliament, the National Redress Scheme will begin on 1 July 2018.

The scheme design requires governments and institutions to opt in. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, the ACT, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Commonwealth have already committed to the National Redress Scheme.