Victims of Crime Fund

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:53): Supplementary: Attorney, are you aware of the approximate balance of the Victims of Crime Fund as it presently stands, or maybe at the last measurement period? You may want to take that on notice.

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 member for his question. Approximately, as of 31 May, it was I believe $248 million, the balance in the Victims of Crime Fund. It is a substantial amount in the balance, but I do note that regularly there are significant calls on the Victims of Crime Fund. I do not have the figures on me right now—in fact I do. As part of the 2024-25 Mid-Year Budget Review, for example, there was an announcement of $135 million from the Victims of Crime Fund to be paid towards the National Redress Scheme for Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse.

I note that in recent years, in terms of the money that comes into that fund from the victims of crime levies that are charged on offenders—certainly I think last year but I am happy to go and check if that is correct—the amount that was paid out was more than was received in from the Victims of Crime Levy. I think the interest accrued made it so that the total amount in the fund was bigger than the year before, but there are those significant calls on the fund that happen from time to time.

Although, as I said, $248 million is a significant balance, it needs to be taken into account that there are things like the $135 million in one year on top of the tens of millions that is paid out or that is called on for one-off things like the National Redress Scheme.