Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President. Thank you, Senator Smith, for your very eloquent words just then and for your excellent chairing of this committee. You can't say it's a pleasure to work on this committee, because we're dealing with such devastating issues. But the collegiate support and the way we worked together was excellent. All of us on that committee come from the same position of hearing survivors and needing to make sure that they have justice. Unfortunately, the scheme at the moment is not providing justice to survivors.

I agree with Senator Smith that the report is very good in terms of addressing the issues that came up. I urge all governments—it is not just about the Australian government; it is about all state and territory governments—to read the recommendations and take action. Senator Smith has very eloquently pointed out the issue around institutions. I totally support what he said. They have to get on board. We need to make sure that the recommendations in this report are implemented to hold them to account. I don't want to go over the same issues as Senator Smith other than to repeat his support for survivors and also acknowledge that a number of them were retraumatised by having to articulate their experiences yet again—and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

I want to touch on the 'funder of last resort' issues. These are issues that I raised in this place when we were debating this legislation because the approach taken at the time was clearly not going to address survivors' needs; unfortunately, that has proven to be the case. We need to make sure that we address this. We touched on it in our report. A number of survivors were at institutions that are now defunct, and they now do not have an institution from which to seek redress. It was inevitable that this was going to happen. It was inevitable that the provisions that are currently in the legislation are not going to be adequate. It is absolutely essential that the states and territories and the federal government work together to address this issue. I believe it's going to take amendments to the legislation itself. It's an issue that has been raised; it needs to be carefully looked at during the review. I have particular opinions about how this should be addressed, which the committee has touched on a little bit; but I deeply believe that the governments need to take responsibility, make sure people get redress, and then sort it out among themselves as to who pays.

But don't make the survivors pay—which is what they are doing now—because they can't get access to redress under the current circumstances. Very few people who were in institutions that are now defunct have been able to access redress to date. We know that we are working against the clock for some people; it is not an exaggeration. We need to make sure that we address this issue with a sense of urgency. We have also set a fairly clear time line for the standard review of the implementation of the scheme which has to occur under the legislation. We expect big things from that review. That's not to put any pressure on the person who is appointed to this, and the review process, but it is really essential that they look at these key issues, take them on board and come up with substantial solutions so that survivors are actually able to get redress. We gave them a commitment in this place and we are not meeting that commitment with its current implementation. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted.