Australian Pollies seem driven to call out failure of signing up to redress scheme

by jonahstourguide 5 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • jonahstourguide
    jonahstourguide

    Hi all

    Noticed this on abc news again re the redress scheme here in Australia.

    I thought it notable that jws were specifically mentioned and that the government is aware of jw tactics.

    Bolding is mine.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-08/states-territories-urged-beef-up-name-and-shame-abuse-scheme/12226250

    States and territories urged to go far beyond name and shame threat against 'recalcitrant' institutions in abuse redress scheme

    By political reporter Matthew Doran
    Posted 7hhours ago
    Dean Smith stands at his desk in the Senate, gesturing while speaking into a microphone
    Liberal Senator Dean Smith said victims of child abuse deserved more than just a threat to name and shame institutions.(ABC News: Jed Cooper)
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    States and territories are being urged to not only shame institutions which refuse to sign up to the National Redress Scheme for victims of child abuse, but also name senior officials and the levels of public funding the organisations receive.

    Key points:

    A federal parliamentary committee has recommended institutions which fail to sign up to the national redress scheme for abuse victims be named, their officials identified, and public funding outlined
    Committee chair Dean Smith has written to the states and territories urging them to adopt the proposal
    Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said all jurisdictions would need to agree if such a proposal were adopted
    Last week, a federal parliamentary committee made up of Liberal, National, Labor and Greens members unanimously recommended identifying "recalcitrant" organisations ahead of the June 30 deadline.

    This week, the committee chair, Liberal senator Dean Smith, wrote to state and territory attorneys-general escalating that demand and encouraging them to adopt the proposal.

    Institutions have until the end of June to sign up to the multi-billion-dollar scheme, aimed at compensating victims of child sexual abuse, before the Federal Government publicly names them for holding out.

    So far, 545 applications for redress have been delayed because 284 non-government organisations are yet to join the scheme.

    Senator Smith suggested it was not enough to simply name the holdouts, and argued the committee wanted explanations on why they were not signing up, names of office holders in the institutions, what date they expected to join the scheme and the financial benefits received through public funding or their charitable status.

    "The National Redress Scheme is a shared responsibility between the Commonwealth, the states and territories, and a step like this requires their full co-operation," Senator Smith said.

    "We owe it to survivors to take every possible step to ensure institutions are signing up to the scheme ahead of the deadline.

    "Governments across Australia have already foreshadowed the naming and shaming of these institutions, but survivors deserve more immediate action."

    The scheme will have been operating for two years once the June 30 deadline arrives.

    The committee made 14 recommendations to improve management of the redress scheme, and its report said ongoing public debate had already prompted some institutions to join.

    "It is also mindful that in some cases — the Jehovah's Witnesses has emerged as one in the evidence given before the Committee — moral pressure applied via public discourse and the media may not be sufficient in and of itself," the committee report said.

    Social Services Minister Anne Ruston has said "all bets are off" if institutions do not sign up by June 30.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)
    Senator Smith, who is the Government whip in the Senate, also wrote to Social Services Minister Anne Ruston.

    Senator Ruston reiterated her warning last week that "all bets are off" for institutions who held back from joining the redress scheme.

    "Institutions named in applications have been warned that failure to fulfil their moral obligation to join the Scheme by the June 30 deadline mean they will be named and shamed and will face other sanctions," a spokesperson for the Minister said.

    "The Government will consider and respond to the committee report and provide it to the Redress Scheme Governance Board of state and territory ministers.

    "The Federal Government cannot make unilateral changes to the Scheme. Changes must be agreed to by the Commonwealth, states and territories."

    Posted 7hhours ago

    jtg

  • 2+2=5
    2+2=5

    The WT has backed itself into a miserable corner on this.

    I hope they get smashed by the media

  • Listener
    Listener

    I wonder what excuses they are giving. It must be humiliating and embarrassing for the Bethel Branch brothers to have to explain why they don't feel they have a moral obligation to join the scheme.

    Given that joining is voluntary, the Watchtower probably considers it impossible to join. If they voluntarily contributed funds as compensation for victims in Australia then they would have to do it on a worldwide basis. By joining they would be acknowledging that they did have a moral obligation.

    I wonder if Australia is included in this November preaching campaign to Politicians and businesses? The letter does say it is a global preaching campaign. That will be so crazy given that many politicians know they wouldn't join the redress scheme.

  • jonahstourguide
    jonahstourguide

    Yes Listener.

    According to my zooming pimo associates the letter was read last night.

    Yes November. Yes crazy.

    jtg

  • smiddy3
    smiddy3

    What`s with this campaign in November about witnessing to politicians and business people ?

    Can someone provide a link ?

    I do hope Australian Pollie`s stand shoulder to shoulder in calling out and naming and shaming those who don`t sign up to the redress scheme and that religions lose their tax free status as well as their charitable status if they fail to do so.

    Maybe its just wishful thinking and too much to ask for

    .Politicians do have religious beliefs also don`t they and that may sway some of them not to support the proposal.

    We will just have to wait and see.

  • careful
    careful

    Thanks for the update.

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