Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate apologise to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

In doing so, I echo the words spoken by the Prime Minister in the House of Representatives on 22 October 2018 and in his national apology to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. I also acknowledge the moving remarks made by the Leader of the Opposition in the other place.

There is no more significant duty or weightier moral obligation for a decent nation than the protection of its children. They are so much more than just our future. In their innocence, their unconditional trust and their hopefulness they are the best of us. That that innocence was so often shattered, their trust so often betrayed and those hopes so cruelly quashed will forever remain a stain on our national consciousness. That crimes so horrific were allowed to take place for so long, in so many places, with such impunity, defies comprehension. That so many of those who suffered are not with us today, having sometimes taken their lives or languished in poverty, prison or despair, worsens the blow.

These horrific crimes of sexual abuse occurred in places where children should have felt safe—places where parents trusted that those involved would have the care of their children uppermost in their minds. Predators targeted places like schools and churches, sporting clubs and scout groups, orphanages and foster homes. In many cases the organisations that ran these facilities and services turned a blind eye to the abuses and pretended they didn't happen. These were crimes of unknowable scale. The royal commission estimates that tens of thousands of children were sexually abused in some of Australia's most trusted institutions. Tragically, we will never know the true number. That fact alone will surely haunt our society for a long time.

The commission's report tells a harrowing story of almost complete failure: the failure to protect the innocent; the failure to believe the victims; the failure to challenge the perpetrators; a collective, systemic national failure. No words will ever be able to wind back the clock, heal the scars or erase the evils of the past. No speech will ever truly satisfy those countless thousands who asked for help but were denied. Why were those vile crimes committed against them allowed to occur? Why were the victims not believed? Why was justice and safety so unreachable?

I extend the Senate's heartfelt sympathy to every victim and survivor, to acknowledge and honour them and to commit resolutely to responding fully to the recommendations produced by the royal commission. Ultimately, all of us in this place have a duty to do all that we can as best we can to right past wrongs and prevent future evils. I also convey, on behalf of the government, our deep gratitude to all those who contributed to the royal commission's work: to the commissioners and their staff for their tireless efforts; to Prime Minister Morrison and his predecessors, prime ministers Gillard, Rudd, Abbott and Turnbull, for their leadership in steering this important process to this point.

I especially pay tribute to the thousands of Australians who relived the worst chapters of their lives in making submissions and attending private sessions. Their strength and courage have inspired a nation. Without it, the commission's work, which has exposed the darkest of crimes in the brightest of lights, would not have been possible. The commission's work, which included the handling of over 42,000 calls, the receipt of nearly 26,000 letters and emails and the holding of over 8,000 private sessions, provides a path forward that is comprehensive, considered and essential on the long road to national healing. We must honour the courage and endurance of those who suffered. We must honour them by faithful implementation of the commission's findings. As we implement 104 of the commission's remaining 122 recommendations directed to the Commonwealth, with the remaining 18 being carefully examined, I'm confident that we will develop a timely and comprehensive bipartisan response.

As the Prime Minister stated, the Commonwealth government must lead the way. With the commencement of the national redress scheme, with the support of the states and territories, and the establishment of the National Office for Child Safety, which will now report directly to the Prime Minister, federal, state and territory governments across the country are working to establish a national database on working with children which can be shared nationally. We are also removing the ability of child sex offenders to travel overseas without permission. The task before us is a daunting one but, by harnessing the remarkable courage and conviction of the many victims and survivors, it will be achieved.

This is an episode in our nation's history of unfathomable horror, of innocence lost, of trust denied, of hopes and expectations dashed and of the triumph of evil. But thousands of courageous Australians would not be silenced; they would not let evil prevail. They raised their voices. To our collective shame, it took us too long to heed their calls. But they persisted. Despite the pain and the loss, they would not be denied. They roused the nation's dormant conscience into action. On this day and into the future, let us be worthy of them. To the children who suffered so much for so long and in such silence: we are sorry. To the parents, spouses, partners, husbands, wives and children who have struggled with the cruel after-effects of that suffering: we are sorry. To the generations of today and those that came before: we are sorry.