AUSTRALIA
The Age
November 26, 2012
Amanda Vanstone
The royal commission on abuse needs to confine itself to cover-ups.
THE federal government’s commitment to a royal commission on child abuse, and the Coalition’s support of it, are welcome. Nonetheless, as they say, the devil is in the detail.
The scope of the commission may be critical to its success or otherwise. The government needs not only to be seen to be doing something but to actually achieve something.
The terms of reference therefore need to ensure the commission can effectively complete its task. Terms that fail to demand a sharp focus might result in many stories being told but little being achieved to protect children.
The commission should not be a field day for lawyers holding out the carrot of compensation. The states generally provide the avenues for complaints of abuse to be heard and if they have been inadequate, the states should confront that.
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