The
Tuart Times
ISSUE 15: FEBRUARY 2018 ISSN: 2204-7646
MAKE REDRESS RIGHT Nine years ago, on the steps of Parliament House WA, hundreds of people gathered to protest a grievous wrong suffered by more than 5,000 care leavers - members of the Stolen Generations, the ‘Forgotten Australians’, and former child migrants from the UK and Malta. Redress WA began as a gold standard redress scheme when introduced by a Labor Government in 2008. It recognised the harms caused by all types of child abuse and neglect, in both institutional and foster care, and was open to former State Wards and non-Wards. However, in August 2009 - after 5,917 applications had been received - the scheme was derailed by a decision of the newly-elected Liberal Government to dramatically reduce the advertised payment levels. The maximum payment of $80,000 was lowered to $45,000, while the minimum payment was halved, from $10,000 to $5,000. Care leavers and their advocates campaigned against the Barnett government’s decision, and 11 August 2009 - on the steps of Parliament House in Perth Labor MPs fought hard for its reversal, condemning Top left: the late Laurie Humphreys JP, inaugural Chairperson of Forgotten the decision in Parliament as ‘heartless’, ‘brutal’, Australians Coming Together (FACT Inc), stands alongside his successor, ‘cruel’, ‘shameful’, and ‘disgraceful’. current FACT Chairperson Ron Love, at the first of the Redress WA rallies Nine years on, the sense of betrayal felt by Redress WA applicants has not faded, and is reignited each time redress or historic abuse is However, these important new developments will not be reported in the news - which is often. The announcement of a available to many Redress WA survivors, who are appealing to Commonwealth redress scheme, and changing civil litigation the State Government, as a matter of urgency, to resolve the laws across Australia, have kept the topic of redress in the ‘unfinished business’ of Redress WA first. headlines. .....Continued on page 3
Care leavers who keenly awaited the return of Labor in WA want the McGowan Government to ‘Make Redress Right’ by reinstating the original payment levels promised under the Redress WA scheme
Thank you! 22 November 2017: WA Attorney General John Quigley and Premier Mark McGowan (centre) walk into Parliament House in solidarity with survivors of child sexual abuse. The WA Government has introduced a Bill into Parliament to remove limitation periods within which a survivor of child sexual abuse must commence proceedings against those who have wronged them. When Parliament passes the Bill, victims of historical child sexual abuse will no longer be prevented by limitation periods from bringing civil claims seeking damages for the harm they have suffered. It is hoped that the Bill will be passed by Parliament in the first half of 2018. .....More on pages 2 & 4