Stuart Grimley MP, Tania Maxwell MP and Derryn Hinch of Derryn Hinchs Justice Party stood beside all of our more than 12k Petitioners, and Victorian victim/survivors, their families and communities, when Mr. Grimley tabled our petition in Parliament 9 June 2022. Updating you on all the other ways they are continuing their support our community and all Victorian victim/survivors.

1. Transparency of the Victorian Government's progress in implementation of Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

 We have discovered how difficult it is as members of the public to get answers to simple questions, such as how many recommendations of the Royal Commission have been implemented, are in progress, are yet to be actioned, and the government has decided not to action.

Out of all of our 9 governments - Federal, State and Territories - Victoria is in the minority, alongside the NT and NSW governments, in not making this basic information public. We have asked the Victorian government to do what most other Australian governments do, and also follow in the footsteps of the SA and Tasmanian governments, and share in detail the actions taken for each recommendation they accepted, or accepted in principle. 

The Royal Commission was a search for the truth, with1302 witnesses providing testimony over 444 hearing days, but ultimately its success is measured by us, the public. Namely, the willingness of governments to effectively implement recommendations, with full transparency and evaluation of their actions.

We are very grateful that next week Mr. Grimley is making a motion in Victorian parliament for the Victorian government's actions on the Royal Commission recommendations, to be accessible and transparent to the public.

2. Transparency of Civil litigation against the Government for child sexual abuse cases, and the Government being a model litigant

Mr. Grimley is also asking the Victorian Attorney General in relation to civil litigation against the Government for child sexual abuse cases in the past five years:

What is the average time to resolve a civil claim of child sexual abuse:

• against the State; and
• specifically against the Department of Education and Training (DET).

How many non-disclosure agreements has the DET required plaintiffs to sign, where the plaintiff is an alleged child sexual abuse victim.

What is the process for ensuring the Government is compliant with the Model Litigant Guidelines and the Common Guiding Principles.

3. Apology

We are also grateful that Mr. Grimley continues to pursue, what other governments have done, that the Victorian State government make an apology to those survivors, victims and their families of cases of child sexual abuse in our Government institutions, including schools.
Those survivors, victims and their families deserve an apology.

Thank you to all our supporters, we are being LOUD and we are being HEARD!