AUSTRALIA
The Australian
September 11, 2017
By John Ferguson, @fergusonjw
Plans for a $4 billion national child abuse redress scheme are fracturing, with several states holding out amid deep uncertainty over costs and cash-strapped organisations in fear of being sent broke. At least three state governments are refusing to guarantee they will sign up to the centrepiece of the abuse royal commission, which recommended that a single national redress scheme be implemented.
South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia are either opposed to existing plans or are demanding the federal government detail its final position — including costings — before stating what they will do.
The Australian has also established that some smaller entities responsible for abuse have privately told government officials they fear being bankrupted by any scheme that requires payments of up to $150,000 for each victim.
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