Queensland Labor's Bill: A Step Towards Justice for Abuse Survivors

0:00It's April 19, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Sydney News Today, your AI-powered local news. Queen's Land's labor opposition is pushing a private member's bill this week to fix a legal loophole that's shielding institutions from abuse claims. It stems from a 2024 high court ruling that cleared the Catholic Church of responsibility for a priest's crimes since he wasn't. Technically, an employee, other states are moving fast on this. The ACT and Victoria already passed laws to hold churches, sports groups, and others accountable for non-employees like volunteer abusers. Western Australia introduced similar legislation, but it's stalled in the upper house over scope debates. Survivors are speaking out loud and clear. Folks like Diane Carpenter, abuse that ate in a rockhampton orphanage, and Valkouper, who says she lost her childhood to fear, want every victim to. Get their shot at justice. Federal Attorney General Megan Scanlan calls it a stand for those whose pain doesn't change based on job titles.

1:01The current government hasn't acted in over a year, drawing fire from the opposition. Premier David Christopher Lee points to a fresh high court decision that could seal the gap nationwide, suggesting a federal fix overstate patches. This bill could spark real change down under, giving survivors the accountability they've chased for decades. Watch how Parliament plays it out.