MOTIONS › National Redress Scheme for Survivors of Institutional Sexual Abuse
Senator McGRATH (Queensland—Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) (12:44): I seek leave to make a short statement. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator McGRATH: The government is committed to ensuring redress is provided for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse by the responsible institutions. Survivors have waited for many years for the justice so wrongly denied them by their abusers. The royal commission expressly acknowledged that its preferred option for delivering that justice, a single national scheme, might not be achievable within the time frame acceptable to survivors and, indeed, to all Australians who have been outraged by the heinous abuse inflicted on children. Discussions which the Commonwealth has led with states and territories have shown that national consistency can only be achieved sufficiently swiftly through a nationally consistent approach. This aligns with the commission's alternative recommendation. The PRESIDENT: The question is that the motion moved by Senator Urquhart be agreed to.