Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

National redress is what I rise to speak about today. But, firstly, I take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr Deputy Speaker, on your elevation to the Deputy Speaker's chair. I know the Swan River bridges run will be the loser from your being ensconced here, but I am sure that Lake Burley Griffin will see you traipsing around there. Congratulations!

This Thursday, 15 September, marks one year since the royal commission recommended a single national redress scheme be established by the federal government, to be contributed to by the churches, charities and state governments that ran the orphanages and children's homes in which so many suffered abuse. I have made numerous speeches in this place about it being time that the charities, churches and NGOs stumped up for the abuse that they visited upon the children who suffered so much, and about the role that the federal government can play to establish a body that can see the national redress scheme implemented.

As a patron of CLAN, the Care Leavers Australasia Network, and a few other organisations who are involved with forgotten Australians and as a former ward of the state, I have seen it as my role to champion the issues of care leavers and children who have suffered abuse in institutions around Australia. I have continued to advocate for our forgotten Australians and I have tried to be a voice for the many innocent people who have suffered abuse—be it sexual, physical, mental or emotional abuse—in institutional care across Australia.

In 2000, Leonie Sheedy and Joanna Penglase founded the Care Leavers Australasia Network, known as CLAN. Leonie was a state ward in Victorian, and Joanna was in a non-government children's home that was run as a business under licence from the Child Welfare Department in New South Wales. These two have done an enormous job to further the national redress cause in Australia. I know that Leonie is on her way to Canberra—actually, she is on her way to my office, and she will be there in about 20 minutes—to continue to raise awareness and to fight for national redress.

On the occasion of the opening of the first session of this 45th Parliament, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, noted the outcomes of the inquiries in his address. At the end of next year, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will conclude. To date, the royal commission has handled more than 33,000 calls, received more the 19,000 letters and emails, held more than 5,800 private sessions and referred 1,639 cases to authorities. The Governor-General advised the parliament that the government is working to ensure redress is provided to the survivors of institutional child sexual abuse by the responsible institutions as soon as possible.

There will be a CLAN meeting here on Thursday and a passive demonstration outside Parliament House to advocate for a national redress, and I encourage all members to support them. Thank you.