Derryn Hinch (Victoria, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party) Share this | Hansard source

In paragraph (b)(ii), change the date from 31 December 2018 to 28 February 2019.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the National Redress Scheme, which was established in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, has been operating since July 2018,

  (ii) 58.6% of survivors who engaged with the Royal Commission reported sexual abuse in religious institutions,

  (iii) 62% of those survivors reported sexual abuse in Catholic institutions,

  (iv) 14.7% of those survivors reported sexual abuse in Anglican institutions,

  (v) despite reports earlier this year that the Catholic, Uniting and Anglican Churches would participate in the scheme, they have yet to formally opt in to the scheme,

  (vi) this has had the effect of putting the applications of survivors who were abused within Catholic, Uniting Church and Anglican institutions – many of whom are extremely vulnerable, ill or elderly – on hold with the Department of Social Services, and

  (vii) of the almost 1900 applications which have been made to the National Redress Scheme since July, fewer than 10 have been processed; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

  (i) encourage all religious institutions within states and territories which are currently signed on to the National Redress Scheme, to opt in, and

  (ii) withhold any government funding and deny charity tax concessions to religious institutions within those states and territories that fail to opt in by 28 February 2018.

I seek leave to make a short statement.