Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

No, that is where you're absolutely wrong, Senator Pratt. It's not a decision of this parliament. It is a decision of the parliaments of the states and territories across Australia. There is an agreed process. It was agreed in this place when the scheme was stood up. I understand that everybody in this place agreed to the establishment of the scheme in its current format. As part of that process, we undertook to have a two-year review because we believed in setting up a scheme of this magnitude. This is a very complex scheme and it has proved to be very difficult. We are not shying away from the fact that it has been a very difficult scheme. But we are absolutely committed to its continuous improvement, and part of that is making sure that we allow the independent review to be undertaken and to provide that advice back to us.

I think really all we're seeking to do here today is to pre-empt by a couple of months the determinations of a group of people. That group has been established under the act with responsibility for delivering this particular scheme. Every single amendment, with the exception of the one about naming and shaming, has exactly the same answer, and that is that they are all matters that are likely to have been canvassed in the review. I will not pre-empt the views of survivors that are contained in that review for the political purposes of this chamber.