Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

On the same topic, I wish to support and endorse the remarks of the three senators who preceded me—Senator Bartlett, Senator Brandis and Senator Siewert. Through you, Mr Acting Deputy President, I would like to direct a request to Senator Brandis—in view of the commitment he has just given—that anyone who has had their wages stolen, particularly when they were below the age of maturity, should be the subject of government attention in the manner and with the feeling that Senator Brandis has described. In these remarks, I refer to the over 500,000 children who were institutionalised in the last century. There were three cohorts: firstly, the Indigenous Australian children; secondly, the foreign children, who were the smallest group, of British, Irish and Maltese migrants; and, thirdly, and the largest group, Australian non-Indigenous non-foreign children. There were over 500,000 children. Vast numbers of children were used as employees. Their wages were supposed to be paid into trust funds and many of them did not receive their due recompense.

This matter was first referred to during the Senate Community Affairs References Committee inquiry into child migrants, the report of which is entitled Lost innocents: righting the record. It contained unanimous recommendations, and the issue of stolen wages was raised therein. I make these remarks so that Senator Brandis can note that the issue does not just apply to Indigenous children and adults, as important as that is. Whoever had this happen to them should, I think, have restitution and inquiry made on their behalf. I urge the government to take that up if they are of a mind to look at this issue in the depth and with the seriousness that Senator Brandis indicated.

Question agreed to.