National Child Abuse Redress Scheme Closer Despite "Differences of Opinion', Minister Says
By James Hancock
"Very substantial progress" has been made towards setting up a proposed national redress scheme for victims of child sexual abuse, with no state or territory government ruling out signing up to the project, according to Social Services Minister Christian Porter. He met with Attorneys-General and representatives of various church and community groups in Melbourne on Friday morning to discuss details of the scheme. The Federal Government has allocated $33 million for its establishment by the middle of next year, with victims to receive up to $150,000 in compensation. The Commonwealth lacks the powers to force the states to sign up, but Mr Porter is confident after the meeting that any issues can be resolved. "Now each of them have offered up views and suggestions and nominated challenges but these are things I think, based on the goodwill and good faith of today's discussions, can be worked through," he said. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse estimated the scheme could eventually cost about $4 billion. It also recommended a $200,000 cap on compensation payouts, but Mr Porter said he believed the Government had struck the right balance with the lower maximum. "We the Commonwealth have certainly started to make provision for our share of that," he said. "Today in essence was about trying to work though different points of view on what are not insubstantial complexities in process, in how we assess claims, in how costs are shared." The Attorneys-General are expected to meet again to discuss the scheme in the middle of the year.
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