AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
October 27, 2015
Jane Lee
Legal affairs, industrial relations and science correspondent
The Turnbull government has not met the Catholic Church to discuss a national redress scheme for child abuse survivors, months before it will decide whether to establish such a scheme.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse last month recommended the federal government set up a $4.01 billion redress scheme for 60,000 people sexually abused as children in institutions.
The commission’s report – published on the day Malcolm Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott as Liberal leader – said the federal government should announce whether it will do so by the end of this year.
The Catholic Church is expected to be among the largest contributors, if not the largest, to compensation under the scheme. Francis Sullivan, chief executive officer of the church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council, told Fairfax Media that he had not been able to meet Attorney-General George Brandis on the issue despite repeated requests this year.
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