GREENS BILL TO STRENGTH DISABILITY ROYAL COMMISSION PRIVACY PROTECTIONS PASSES SENATE

Greens bill aimed at strengthening the privacy protections of witnesses who give evidence to the Disability Royal Commission has passed the Senate with the support of Labor and the entirety of the cross-bench including One Nation.
The Government opposed the passage of the bill.
Senator Jordon Steele-John, who introduced the bill, said it was a huge win for the community and sent a clear signal to the Attorney General that these changes are urgently needed.
“Disabled people want to know that they are safe to tell their stories to the Disability Royal Commission, and that the evidence they give will not be used against them after the Royal Commission ends,” Steele-John said.
“With the government today losing this historic vote in the Senate, the community now know that the majority of their representatives in the Australian Senate support their desire for change.
“For the last 18 months the Attorney General has known this issue is having a chilling effect on the work of the Royal Commission, as many people in the community are worried about coming forward to tell their stories. We’re still yet to see any detail on how the government plans to fix this critical issue.
“With the Disability Royal Commission recommencing hearings for 2021 in Brisbane on the experiences of people with cognitive impairment in the criminal justice system Tomorrow,  it’s more important than ever that our Royal Commission can hear evidence from as many people as possible.
“With my bill today passing the Senate, we are already halfway there. It’s time this government acted to give people the peace of mind that telling their stories won’t cause them more harm.”