Gerard Craughwell (Independent)

Following on from what Senator Ruane said about decoupling redress from justice, redress schemes are generally brought in to expedite the quick settlement, as it were, of an injustice. In a lot of cases, the people we are talking about opt for a redress scheme. They have been keeping this secret all their lives and they do not want their personal lives in the High Court, so there is an opportunity to resolve the matter, as best they can, through a redress scheme. We need to be very careful about trying to make justice and redress the same thing.

Senator Higgins referred to learning lessons. I hear Departments saying that lessons have been learned, but they are not learned. Senator Boyhan has already outlined a number of cases that are coming down the line with other institutions. Lessons have not been learned. We do not learn lessons. The only way we learn lessons is if we hold people to account and it hurts them in their pocket. Then we learn lessons. What was supposed to be paid over to the State by religious institutions has not been paid. So, lessons have not been learned.