AUSTRALIA
Armidale Express
By Phillip Coorey, Jessica Wright and Judith Ireland
Nov. 12, 2012
Tony Abbott says the Coalition would support a government-backed royal commission into child sexual abuse, providing it inquires beyond the Catholic Church.
His move came as former prime minister Kevin Rudd said he backed calls for a royal commission on child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church if state inquiries required bolstering.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is considering calls for a federal inquiry but declined today to respond to the growing clamour for action as cabinet minister Penny Wong said any inquiry should be “full, frank and fearless”.
Mr Abbott said the coalition ‘‘would be prepared to support’’ a wide-ranging royal commission investigation into the sexual abuse of children providing it was both proposed by the government and was not limited to one institution .
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