❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs regarding the WA Stolen Wages Reparation Scheme, specifically concerning a claimant from Wyndham and the scheme's approach. The Minister defends the scheme's design and states it will not be reviewed.
AnsweredQoN 136Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
STOLEN
WAGES REPARATION SCHEME — DAVID RYDER
136. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
My question is with regard to WA Stolen Wages Reparation
Scheme claimant David Ryder from Wyndham, who has received an ex gratia payment
of $2 000.
(1) Is it
correct that Mr Ryder was sent a pro forma or standard letter advising him that
his application had been successful?
(2) If yes to
(1), is this a reflection of the scheme's one-size-fits-all approach,
which does not attempt to address the recipients' different
circumstances when their wages were withheld?
(3) Was any
attempt made to calculate the true value of the income withheld from Mr Ryder
and others in an attempt to make payments under the scheme more reasonable?
(4) Will the
government consider establishing a parliamentary review of the WA Stolen Wages
Reparation Scheme, with a view to developing a second stage of the scheme that
builds on the findings and experiences to date and that reflects the many
concerns the applicants have expressed to date?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
WAGES REPARATION SCHEME — DAVID RYDER
136. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs:
My question is with regard to WA Stolen Wages Reparation
Scheme claimant David Ryder from Wyndham, who has received an ex gratia payment
of $2 000.
(1) Is it
correct that Mr Ryder was sent a pro forma or standard letter advising him that
his application had been successful?
(2) If yes to
(1), is this a reflection of the scheme's one-size-fits-all approach,
which does not attempt to address the recipients' different
circumstances when their wages were withheld?
(3) Was any
attempt made to calculate the true value of the income withheld from Mr Ryder
and others in an attempt to make payments under the scheme more reasonable?
(4) Will the
government consider establishing a parliamentary review of the WA Stolen Wages
Reparation Scheme, with a view to developing a second stage of the scheme that
builds on the findings and experiences to date and that reflects the many
concerns the applicants have expressed to date?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) No. While
all letters sent under the scheme contained some standard information, each
letter also included details tailored to individual applicants.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) The state
government's response to the issue of stolen wages was largely based on
advice from the stolen wages task force, which acknowledged that the lack of
surviving records and the passage of time meant that it was not possible for
the WA government to identify and repay the actual amount of moneys that were
withheld. Therefore, the $2 000 ex gratia payment offered was not an attempt to
repay wages that were withheld, but rather an acknowledgement that wages were
stolen.
(4) No.
(5) The scheme
will not be reviewed or reopened. It should be noted that the state government
invests heavily in measures to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people. These
investments are, to a large degree, based on recognition that the disadvantage
experienced by many Aboriginal people is a result of discriminatory legislation
and policy that existed from 1905 to 1972.
question.
(1) No. While
all letters sent under the scheme contained some standard information, each
letter also included details tailored to individual applicants.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) The state
government's response to the issue of stolen wages was largely based on
advice from the stolen wages task force, which acknowledged that the lack of
surviving records and the passage of time meant that it was not possible for
the WA government to identify and repay the actual amount of moneys that were
withheld. Therefore, the $2 000 ex gratia payment offered was not an attempt to
repay wages that were withheld, but rather an acknowledgement that wages were
stolen.
(4) No.
(5) The scheme
will not be reviewed or reopened. It should be noted that the state government
invests heavily in measures to improve outcomes for Aboriginal people. These
investments are, to a large degree, based on recognition that the disadvantage
experienced by many Aboriginal people is a result of discriminatory legislation
and policy that existed from 1905 to 1972.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.