Victims of Crime Fund

The Hon. C. BONAROS (14:52): Final supplementary: given the public sentiment that has now been raised in relation to a number of matters that have fallen within this basket, does the Attorney intend to revisit this issue of a fund of last resort?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:53): I thank the honourable for her question. I am happy to continue to receive legal advice, but, as I have said, the Victims of Crime Fund as it is currently constituted under the Victims of Crime legislation now and in the predecessor scheme had always been and still is intended as a fund of last resort. There are many instances where there is not a course of action of negligence or another civil claim that a victim can make and where tens of millions of dollars each year are paid out to victims of crime and with the right of recovery for the state from those perpetrators.