Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly can I say that I find the contribution that we just heard from Senator Shoebridge to be absolutely offensive. As the former minister with responsibility for the National Redress Scheme, I find what you say to be absolutely offensive. I absolutely acknowledge that, in my time as the minister, there was nothing more important than addressing the concerns of survivors and putting survivors at the absolute forefront of everything that we did and everything that I did as minister. To have Senator Shoebridge come in here and suggest that in any way, shape or form we would be seeking to protect institutions from paying their dues for the crimes that were committed against these people is extraordinarily offensive.

As I said, I was the minister at the time. I was the minister who named institutions that refused to sign up. I was the one who shamed those institutions, and I would do it again and again and again because I have always been on the side of survivors. So I think, Senator Shoebridge, that you should probably reflect on some of the things you said. Perhaps you should do a little bit more considering about what has transpired before now. I think that your response coming in here today is a reflection of your lack of understanding of what has actually gone on before.

As I said, I was the minister who was responsible.

It doesn't matter how much yelling comes from the other end of the chamber. I was the minister responsible, and I was absolutely proud that, every single day, every single decision that I made when it came to the National Redress Scheme was one that put survivors at the very centre. It was never the institutions. It never has been the institutions. I find the previous comments made by Senator Shoebridge to be tremendously offensive and directly targeted towards me. I think it reflects very badly on you, Senator Shoebridge, that you do not have the common decency to even acknowledge what I did as the minister, the entire time I was the minister, to put victims at the centre of this scheme as the primary priority. I'm sorry; this reflects badly on you.