Premiers to Discuss Abuse Inquiry

Business Spectator
December 6, 2012

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Premiers-to-discuss-abuse-inquiry-2QB7F?OpenDocument&src=hp7

State premiers are keen to have input in the development of terms of reference for the federal royal commission into child sex abuse.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill met with other state leaders in Canberra on Thursday ahead of a Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on Friday.

"The overwhelming message from that is the outcome can't be another set of volumes with a million recommendations to sit on a shelf gathering dust," he told reporters, referring to a South Australian Children in State Care Commission of Inquiry.

"The way it is conducted will be absolutely crucial and we will be passing on our views to the commonwealth."

Mr Weatherill said the critical issue was to ensure the voices of victims were properly heard so they can go through the healing process.

"We've certainly got a shared view that this has to be handled incredibly sensitively," he said.

"I think everybody supports the idea of shining a light on abuse of this sort."

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said the final terms of reference for the inquiry were a matter for the federal government.

But he predicted it would prove to be "very expensive, very emotional and very difficult for many people".

"Western Australia just completed a similar scheme called Redress, which involved people coming forward telling their stories and getting, if you like, a compensation payment," Mr Barnett told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

"That cost $140 million in WA alone and it was a fairly limited scope.

"Translate that across Australia and this royal commission will result in calls, probably justifiable calls, for compensation.

"The cost of that is certainly going to be $2 billion or more."

The federal government hopes to release the terms of reference for the royal commission some time in December.