Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. The government is delivering on its promises and building a stronger economy for all Australians which enables us to guarantee the essential services Australians depend on, and we are ensuring that the survivors, the victims, of child sexual abuse receive the support they need and deserve in the wake of these horrific events perpetrated over many decades.

The royal commission not only heard, recorded and respected the testimony of shocking sexual abuse suffered by children across the nation; it enabled the survivors to be heard and, most importantly, to be believed—many of them, heard and believed for the first time in their lives. This week, as a nation, we've taken several important steps in the journey of healing. All states and territories now, with the exception of Western Australia, have signed up to the national redress scheme. We now have five major non-government institutions who have opted in: the Catholic Church, the Anglican church, the Salvation Army, the Scouts and the YMCA. That means that roughly 48,000 people—that's about 80 per cent—of the 60,000 survivors should now be covered by the national redress scheme. The House has passed the national redress bill, and it's now up to the Senate to pass the bill to ensure that we can begin delivering this redress to survivors from 1 July.

Just this week, the Attorney-General has announced the government will undertake the most significant review of Australian intelligence laws in 40 years. The first priority of our government is keeping Australians safe, securing our nation's borders and frustrating and preventing the ever-present terrorist threat. It's why we've ensured our law enforcement and intelligence agencies have the resources and the powers they need to keep us and every Australian safe. That includes properly funding and supporting the Australian Border Force with policies that discourage the people smugglers and the criminals who, when Labor was in government, had the immigration policy of Australia outsourced to them.

We have a strong economy, and we have the resources, but above all the character and the determination, to do justice to Australians who have been wronged and to keep Australians safe and our borders secure.

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