Victims of Crime Fund

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:35): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Attorney-General about the victims of crime compensation fund.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: An article in The Advertiser released on 19 February 2024 reported that the Victims of Crime Fund has increased to a record $200 million, while expenditure of the funds was only at $61 million for 2022-23. Despite the Victims of Crime Fund increasing year on year, some victims are still not receiving the support they deserve. Kylie Bailey, a survivor of child sexual assault, was refused assistance due to a technicality, in spite of the fact that her abuser was unanimously found guilty. She said:

I think the fact that the Victims of Crime Fund is sitting at $200 million is a joke…there is so much healing that could come from the funds being used where it is needed most. I felt upset, angry and once again let down by the system.

It is a fund designed to help victims, but even with a record-breaking bank balance a child sex abuse victim could not get a psychiatrist. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. What response would the Attorney-General provide to victims of crime like Kylie Bailey?

2. Will the Attorney-General commit to closing the loopholes that prevent victims of crime from receiving compensation that is due to them?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for her question—it is very similar to questions her colleagues have asked over the past few weeks. I can reiterate that, yes, there is a balance of around $200 million in the Victims of Crime Fund at the moment.

I also note, as I have outlined in only the last few weeks, that from time to time very significant amounts come out of the Victims of Crime Fund and there needs to be a balance to make sure it can accommodate those, for example, the $146.4 million in 2017, 2018 and 2019 for the National Redress Scheme, which had about $25 million put towards it more recently.

I also note, as I did previously—I think I informed the chamber—that between 2022 and 2023 more money went out of the fund than came into the fund, so more money paid out to victims for the purpose of helping victims of crime than was accumulated through primarily the victims of crime levy that offenders pay.

Between 2022 and 2023, $61.5 million was expended from the fund and $60.7 million came into the fund that year. If the honourable member has what she considers to be a specific loophole, I would be more than happy to address it and I invite the honourable member, maybe in a supplementary question, to address the loophole she is referring to.