ONE of Australia’s oldest care leavers has turned 100 while waiting for the federal government to introduce a National Independent Redress Scheme.
Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) executive officer Leonie Sheedy said group members wished care leaver Les Arndell all the best when he celebrated his century on June 27.
However, members remained disappointed by the government’s refusal to introduce a national redress scheme for people abused as children in care institutions.
“These people are growing older by the day, waiting for justice from the government that abandoned them to their abusers when they were living in Australia’s orphanages, children’s homes, foster care and other institutions,” Ms Sheedy said.
Mr Arndell was placed in an orphanage at age three with his two siblings after his mother died in a fire caused by a kitchen stove.
He lived at St Joseph’s Orphanage at Cowper, near Grafton, for 10 years until the head nun walked him out the gate and told him he was “on his own”. Fortunately, he had a father to return to.
He grew up to establish his own business and a happy life. Ms Sheedy said for many care leavers, their experience had been less happy and they had remained broken by abusive experiences.
“This is a national issue of justice and human rights, and we are truly hurt by the Prime Minister’s silence on this issue during the recent federal election campaign,” she said.
“CLAN welcomes Labor’s call for Prime Minister Turnbull to take a bipartisan approach to national redress.”
The ALP committed $33 million towards a National Redress Agency to get the scheme started, with the bulk of the scheme funds to come from state governments, churches and charities that ran the institutions.
