Labor senator Patrick Dodson has put forward a notice of motion seeking the re-establishment of a parliamentary committee investigating the implementation of the National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
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Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon was the deputy chair of the former joint select committee assessing governments' oversight of the scheme.
At a hearing held in Newcastle late last year, the committee highlighted the plight of 97-year-old Hunter woman and child abuse survivor "Mary", who had not yet been able to access redress because the Sisters of St Joseph had not signed onto the scheme. The Catholic order has since joined.
In its final report, handed down in April, the committee recommended government remove charitable status and tax exemptions from organisations that failed to sign up.
The report also suggested a parliamentary committee, "similar to this committee", continue to oversee the National Redress Scheme throughout its lifetime. Applications for redress can be made until June 2027.
Ms Claydon said she wanted to remain "actively involved" in the committee if it was successfully re-established. The committee was previously chaired by former minor party senator Derryn Hinch, and included senators and MPs from the Liberal and Labor parties.
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Ms Claydon said hearings run by the previous committee provided politicians with a unique opportunity to listen to survivors' experiences of the National Redress Scheme "on the ground".
"That's why we're being pretty adamant trying to pursue this," she said.
The government has not yet made an official response to the previous committee's final report.
The document identified a number of flaws in the scheme, Ms Claydon said, including that claims were taking too long to process, survivors in some states had caps on the amount of counselling sessions they could receive and barriers to access redress for imprisoned survivors.
"I am very optimistic about them [government] agreeing to re-establish the joint committee," she said.
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