George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Ruston, for that important question. I can advise the honourable senator that the government has decided to recommend to His Excellency the Governor-General that the current letters patent for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse be amended so as to extend the reporting date of the royal commission to 15 December 2017. That is an extension of the current reporting date by two years. I am assured by the chairman of the royal commission, Justice McClellan, that this will be sufficient to enable the royal commission to complete its work.

The extension of the royal commission will be at a cost of $125.8 million. That is in addition to the $377 million currently budgeted for, bringing the Commonwealth's total commitment to slightly above $500 million. Although this is a very significant amount of money, it is the view of the government, given the importance of the royal commission's work, that this outlay is justified. I am aware of a media—