❓ Question regarding the urgency of passing the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth Powers) Bill 2018 and the consequences of failing to do so before the end of the year. The Attorney General's answer highlights the expeditious handling of the bill by the Assembly and expresses concern over potential delays in the Legislative Council.
AnsweredQoN 834Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME FOR INSTITUTIONAL CHILD
SEXUAL ABUSE(COMMONWEALTH POWERS) BILL 2018
834. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Attorney General:
I refer to the National Redress
Scheme legislation that passed this house in early September, but is still
currently before the Legislative Council.
(1) Can the
Attorney General outline to the house why it is so important for survivors of
institutional child sexual abuse that this legislation is passed as soon as
possible?
(2) Can the
Attorney General advise the house what it would mean for those survivors if
that legislation is not passed before the end of the year?
SEXUAL ABUSE(COMMONWEALTH POWERS) BILL 2018
834. Ms M.M. QUIRK to the Attorney General:
I refer to the National Redress
Scheme legislation that passed this house in early September, but is still
currently before the Legislative Council.
(1) Can the
Attorney General outline to the house why it is so important for survivors of
institutional child sexual abuse that this legislation is passed as soon as
possible?
(2) Can the
Attorney General advise the house what it would mean for those survivors if
that legislation is not passed before the end of the year?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Girrawheen for her question. The member quite rightly
pointed out that this chamber considered that legislation on 13 September 2018
and passed the adoption legislation on that day. This house dealt with it very
expeditiously. Might I remind the chamber that the commonwealth government did
not table the rules for the National Redress Scheme until 29 June, so the
government dealt with it very expeditiously by bringing forward the adoption
legislation as soon as we got back after the winter recess. After that, the
legislation went to the Legislative Council and, in accordance with its
standing orders, it had to be referred to the Standing Committee on Uniform
Legislation and Statutes Review. At the time that it was referred, the chairman
of that committee, the shadow Attorney General, approached the government
leader in the Assembly for an extension of time within which to consider that—a
two-week extension. The government acceded to that on the basis that the legislation
would pass this year. I will refer to the Hansard of 18 October 2018
when that occurred. The leader of government business in the upper house stated
—
I indicate � on the basis of
discussions behind the Chair � the opposition � will not put any barriers in
the way of this bill progressing before the house rises at the end of 2018, �
noting that the reporting back gives us two weeks to deal with this committee
report when it comes back to the house, we agree to the extension of time.
That is, the extension the opposition
requested. Hon Nick Goiran then stated —
I
am going to say something because the Leader of the House talked about the
opposition not putting barriers in the way of the legislation when the matter
returns. I have not had time to consider the National Redress Scheme for
Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth Powers) � I have a longstanding
interest in this � matter. I am looking forward to the committee reporting and
I give no such undertaking.
That is, the member will give no such
undertaking that it will pass in 2018.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
J.R. QUIGLEY : This is absolutely
crucial for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse because other non-government
organisations in Western Australia cannot join the scheme until Western Australia
joins the scheme. People are getting older. People out there are in the last
stages of their life. People are suffering from mental illness. They cannot
lodge their application until Western Australia joins the scheme. This is not
something on which we can bargain with the commonwealth and change the rules of
the scheme. This is a simple question for the Liberal opposition: do we go into
the scheme or not? The Western Australian Labor government has been committed
to supporting survivors of child sexual abuse and has dealt with the
legislation expeditiously. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that if the
Liberal Party in the Legislative Council does not pass this in 2018, the public
will be furious that the Liberal Party stood in the way of justice for
survivors of child sexual abuse.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr J.R. QUIGLEY : There will
be sufficient time to pass this legislation after the committee reports on 21 November.
It will be an absolutely dysfunctional performance by the Liberal Party if it
passed it in one day in the Legislative Assembly but, when the legislation got
up to the Council, it did not pass it in 2018. Might I remind Hon Nick Goiran
that these rules were published by the commonwealth on 29 June. By the time the
matter comes back to the Legislative Council, Hon Nick Goiran will have had
five months to consider the commonwealth scheme. It is not a scheme that he can
change. I call upon the Liberal Party to confirm to concerned survivors that
this legislation will pass through the Legislative Council in 2018.
thank the member for Girrawheen for her question. The member quite rightly
pointed out that this chamber considered that legislation on 13 September 2018
and passed the adoption legislation on that day. This house dealt with it very
expeditiously. Might I remind the chamber that the commonwealth government did
not table the rules for the National Redress Scheme until 29 June, so the
government dealt with it very expeditiously by bringing forward the adoption
legislation as soon as we got back after the winter recess. After that, the
legislation went to the Legislative Council and, in accordance with its
standing orders, it had to be referred to the Standing Committee on Uniform
Legislation and Statutes Review. At the time that it was referred, the chairman
of that committee, the shadow Attorney General, approached the government
leader in the Assembly for an extension of time within which to consider that—a
two-week extension. The government acceded to that on the basis that the legislation
would pass this year. I will refer to the Hansard of 18 October 2018
when that occurred. The leader of government business in the upper house stated
—
I indicate � on the basis of
discussions behind the Chair � the opposition � will not put any barriers in
the way of this bill progressing before the house rises at the end of 2018, �
noting that the reporting back gives us two weeks to deal with this committee
report when it comes back to the house, we agree to the extension of time.
That is, the extension the opposition
requested. Hon Nick Goiran then stated —
I
am going to say something because the Leader of the House talked about the
opposition not putting barriers in the way of the legislation when the matter
returns. I have not had time to consider the National Redress Scheme for
Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth Powers) � I have a longstanding
interest in this � matter. I am looking forward to the committee reporting and
I give no such undertaking.
That is, the member will give no such
undertaking that it will pass in 2018.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr
J.R. QUIGLEY : This is absolutely
crucial for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse because other non-government
organisations in Western Australia cannot join the scheme until Western Australia
joins the scheme. People are getting older. People out there are in the last
stages of their life. People are suffering from mental illness. They cannot
lodge their application until Western Australia joins the scheme. This is not
something on which we can bargain with the commonwealth and change the rules of
the scheme. This is a simple question for the Liberal opposition: do we go into
the scheme or not? The Western Australian Labor government has been committed
to supporting survivors of child sexual abuse and has dealt with the
legislation expeditiously. I say to the Leader of the Opposition that if the
Liberal Party in the Legislative Council does not pass this in 2018, the public
will be furious that the Liberal Party stood in the way of justice for
survivors of child sexual abuse.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr J.R. QUIGLEY : There will
be sufficient time to pass this legislation after the committee reports on 21 November.
It will be an absolutely dysfunctional performance by the Liberal Party if it
passed it in one day in the Legislative Assembly but, when the legislation got
up to the Council, it did not pass it in 2018. Might I remind Hon Nick Goiran
that these rules were published by the commonwealth on 29 June. By the time the
matter comes back to the Legislative Council, Hon Nick Goiran will have had
five months to consider the commonwealth scheme. It is not a scheme that he can
change. I call upon the Liberal Party to confirm to concerned survivors that
this legislation will pass through the Legislative Council in 2018.
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