Linda Burney (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move opposition amendments (2), (3), (7) and (9), as circulated in my name, together:

(2) Schedule 1, item 51, page 18 (after line 30), at the end of Part 8-2, add:

200 Increase in cap on redress payments

(1) As soon as practicable after this section commences, the Minister must consider the action that needs to be taken to increase the $150,000 cap on redress payments to $200,000.

(2) Within 90 days after this section commences, the Minister must prepare a report on:

(a) what the Minister has done, or plans to do, to have the cap increased as mentioned in subsection (1); or

(b) if the Minister has not done, and does not plan to do, anything—the Minister's reasons for this.

(3) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament on or before the first sitting day of that House after the end of those 90 days.

(4) In this section:

action includes amending this Act, an instrument made under this Act, or any other law.

(3) Schedule 1, item 51, page 18 (after line 30), at the end of Part 8-2, add:

201 Ending indexing of relevant prior payments

(1) As soon as practicable after this section commences, the Minister must consider the action that needs to be taken to end the indexing of relevant prior payments.

(2) Within 90 days after this section commences, the Minister must prepare a report on:

(a) what the Minister has done, or plans to do, to have indexing ended as mentioned in subsection (1); or

(b) if the Minister has not done, and does not plan to do, anything—the Minister's reasons for this.

(3) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament on or before the first sitting day of that House after the end of those 90 days.

(4) In this section:

action includes amending this Act, an instrument made under this Act, or any other law.

(7) Schedule 1, item 51, page 18 (after line 30), at the end of Part 8-2, add:

205 Psychological counselling and support

(1) As soon as practicable after this section commences, the Minister must consider the action that needs to be taken to ensure that necessary ongoing psychological counselling and support is given to persons who are entitled to redress under the scheme.

(2) Within 90 days after this section commences, the Minister must prepare a report on:

(a) what the Minister has done, or plans to do, to have psychological counselling and support given as mentioned in subsection (1); or

(b) if the Minister has not done, and does not plan to do, anything—the Minister's reasons for this.

(3) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament on or before the first sitting day of that House after the end of those 90 days.

(4) In this section:

action includes amending this Act, an instrument made under this Act, or any other law.

(9) Schedule 1, item 51, page 18 (after line 30), at the end of Part 8-2, add:

207 Review of determinations cannot reduce payments

(1) As soon as practicable after this section commences, the Minister must consider the action that needs to be taken to ensure that a review of a determination under Part 4-1 cannot reduce the total amount of redress under the determination.

(2) Within 90 days after this section commences, the Minister must prepare a report on:

(a) what the Minister has done, or plans to do, to ensure that a review of a determination under Part 4-1 cannot reduce the total amount of redress under the determination; or

(b) if the Minister has not done, and does not plan to do, anything—the Minister's reasons for this.

(3) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament on or before the first sitting day of that House after the end of those 90 days.

(4) In this section:

action includes amending this Act, an instrument made under this Act, or any other law.

All of the amendments that Labor will be moving today have been deliberately structured to give the government flexibility and latitude, and that's a very important point, despite the fact that you all just voted against your own policy. They give flexibility to negotiate with the states and territories to make the changes that are needed to the scheme, and the latitude to implement the change in the most effective way. It also means that the government can respond in a way that takes the findings of the two independent yearly reviews into account.

What we're really calling for here is leadership, national leadership, across the states and territories and a clear commitment from the government to bring the scheme back to what the royal commission recommended. There is absolutely no reason for the government not to support these amendments. They require the minister to report to the parliament within 90 days. That's the latitude and flexibility with which, and the spirit in which, we move these amendments. All of us here owe it to survivors to get this right and not simply say that it is all too hard.

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