Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

LBANESE (—) (): I move:

That the House commemorate the anniversary of the national apology to the survivors and victims of institutional child sexual abuse.

Just over four years ago we gathered here for the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. We heard powerful words from the Prime Minister and from my predecessor, the member for Maribyrnong. Those words needed to be said. They had to be said in this place. And they so badly needed to be heard. It was profoundly moving for all of us here and all who listened across the country—especially the survivors, their loved ones and the families of victims, and they heard the message that they should have heard so long ago: 'We hear you. We believe you.'

It was a day of tears. It was a day of relief, of love, of courage and grace. For some, it softened, even ended, the confusion and shame that had hung over their lives for too long. And, for many, it was a day when the future began to seem just a little bit more possible.

But it was also a day of ghosts and the most difficult of memories. It is easy to reach for metaphors of shadows and darkness, but much that was done—the betrayals, the destruction of trust, the abuse—was carried out brazenly. It was carried out openly. A culture that gives credence to the abusers over the abused is a culture that thrives on silence, and silence is as much at home in the light as it is in the dark.

Words break the silence, and what allowed so many words to be finally spoken was the royal commission begun by Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Never forget the courage that she showed. Never forget the criticism which she endured as a result of showing that courage at that time. However great the voices of opposition were, her compassion and determination were so much greater.

The royal commission brought a dam-burst of truth—people telling their own stories, and speaking up for those who couldn't. Out of these harrowing stories came the apology.

An apology must never be the end of the story but rather the start of a new and better chapter. I say again to victims and survivors: you have carried such a burden; you cannot be left with the weight of an empty gesture. As much as words can create turning points in our nation, they have to be a catalyst for action.

Earlier this month, the Victorian government announced a redress scheme for children abused in institutional care. On a national level, more than 600 non-government organisations have signed up to the redress scheme established following the royal commission. To date, it has received over 20,000 applications and delivered nearly 11,000 outcomes. The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse's draft five-year strategy is open for public consultation until 13 January next year, giving everyone a say on the priority work of the national centre, to shape the vision for long-term, generational change. All Australians' state and territory governments are also committed to delivering the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, launched one year ago. The national strategy is the first of its kind in Australia and it will drive our response as a country to better prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in all settings.

Victims and survivors of child sexual abuse are essential partners in our delivery of the national strategy, and I sincerely thank those who are already helping us bring about meaningful change. But there is so much more to be done not just in our institutions but in our families, our communities and, increasingly, online. We have to keep going because the true test for all of us as a parliament and, indeed, as a nation is whether we can one day look back on the apology as a turning point and not just a full stop. That means backing our words with meaningful and continuing action.

Yes, we'll keep coming back here and repeating the words, as we should, letting them sound through the years like a heartbeat: we hear you; we believe you. And, as we strive to keep making good on the apology with the realities of our deeds, let us go on saying it for the victims and survivors who are still with us, for those who aren't, for those who succumbed to the weight they so desperately tried to shoulder alone. For those who can still hear the words and for those that never did, we will keep on saying them: we hear you; we believe you. And the greatest power of those words will come from what we do in response.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Prime Minister for his words and certainly join with him to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

The findings of the royal commission in 2017 were truly appalling. Tens of thousands of children had been sexually abused over 90 years in more than 4,000 institutions. An array of public and private institutions were implicated. Some leaders of these institutions prioritised protecting organisational reputations in the interests of alleged perpetrators instead of the wellbeing of an abused child or complainant. Children and parents were not believed. Complaints were not investigated. Our criminal justice and child welfare systems failed so many. Some victims felt so wretched that they, tragically, chose to end their pain by taking their own lives. So many survivors continue to live with trauma.

In hearing from the survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, the royal commission unearthed the truth. It listened to more than 8,000 stories, read more than 1,000 submitted written accounts and receive more than 42,000 phone calls. Today we applaud the exemplary work of the royal commissioners and public servants, especially those who answered the calls with a compassionate and attentive ear, and we commend those 17,000 Australians who courageously stepped forward to share their experiences and to provide evidence, reopening old wounds in the process.

I'm proud of the coalition government's record in responding to the royal commission's findings, especially the institutions we created and initiatives we implemented to combat child sexual abuse and to support victims and survivors. I commend the government for carrying on that work, especially under the National Redress Scheme.

We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are more likely to be victims of child abuse and sexual assault. Last week I visited the Northern Territory with Senator Jacinta Price to listen to people on the ground. While the vast majority of families of course are raising their children with love, that is not the case in all homes. Women and mothers despairingly told us about rampant child sexual abuse. What's happening on the fringe of communities is abominable. Children are sleeping during the day and missing out on classes to avoid being at home during the hours of darkness in fear of being sexually abused or assaulted.

The absolute tragedy of the stolen generations is that children were taken from safe and loving homes. Today, conversely, authorities are not removing children from homes where they are being harmed and abused. In modern Australia we respect cultural sensitivities and Indigenous connection to country, but the rights of the child are above culture and sensitivities. We all sit in this place knowing that child sexual abuse is widespread in Indigenous communities and, in some cases, it has become normalised. For too long we have been silent and supine. Imagine a 10-year-old little girl today who has been sexually abused. She might say to those in this place a decade from now: 'How could you have left me there? Why didn't you do anything to stop it?' She would be right to demand an apology. Enough, Mr Speaker. This is not about creating another stolen generation; it's about preventing a new generation from having their lives and aspirations stolen.

The national apology came to fruition because of a royal commission. In the spirit of the fourth anniversary and our enduring commitment to keep children safe, it is time for a new royal commission to examine child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities. We support immediate action from this government and from the Northern Territory government on this incredibly important issue. I thank the Prime Minister and the minister for their time earlier today. I have raised this issue and met with the Prime Minister on two occasions now and it is an issue that we continue to work on together. The coalition dedicates itself to supporting action taken by the government. There is goodwill on both sides, but this is a national issue that needs addressing now.

Debate adjourned.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

E (—) (): by leave—I move:

That the following order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate:

National Apology to the Survivors and Victims of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse—Copy of motion moved by the Prime Minister—resumption of debate.

Question agreed to.