Make Redress Right

The Make Redress Right campaign continues to gain momentum and is now being considered in the upcoming State Budget.

Having formed a Make Redress Right collective, exresidents of St Joseph’s Orphanage (one of Perth’s largest former children’s Homes), are now calling on all those harmed by the Redress WA scheme to lend their support to the call for justice.

‘The Joey Girls’ – a formidable group of women – have told their stories to ABC journalist Claire Moodie. Claire reported the issues in a TV news segment on 3 February 2019, and published an in-depth online report (available at ABC online https://www.abc.net.au/ search for ‘redress’).

Claire Moodie’s story features Rose Kruger, Philomena Hall and Patricia Wenman who, along with 5,500 other applicants, had their Redress WA payment offers cut in half, following a change of government during the scheme.

Although they suffered terrible physical and emotional abuse in care, none of the women are now able to take part in the new national scheme – which only deals with sexual abuse. They are not alone. Approximately half of Redress WA applicants did not disclose sexual abuse and are now also left out of the National Redress Scheme.

Another group of Redress WA survivors is led by the Rolfe sisters, who are also ex-residents of St Joseph’s Orphanage. The seven remaining Rolfe sisters are a force to be reckoned with and are determined to persist in seeking justice for survivors of Redress WA.

In the first instance, they are calling on Premier Mark McGowan to issue a formal apology to care leavers who applied for the Redress WA scheme and suffered as a result of the reduction in payment levels, after having completed their stories of child abuse.

Trish Gray (nee Rolfe) wants to hear from people interested in contacting their local Members of Parliament, and other forms of raising public awareness about the unfinished business of Redress WA. Contact Trish via Tuart Place.

Support grows for Make Redress Right in WA

Journalist Claire Moodie’s coverage of the Redress WA debacle prompted a strong and wide-spread response from supporters.

Among others, the Hon Alison Xamon MLC “urged the Government to support the Make Redress Right campaign and right the wrongs of the past, before it was too late”.

After seeing the ABC news segment, Professor Judy Harrison, a Barrister and Solicitor, and Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University, wrote to Premier Mark McGowan, Treasurer Ben Wyatt, and Member for the Kimberley Josie Farrer, urging them to act quickly in response to the continuing injustice experienced by victims of abuse and survivors of redress in WA.