Terms of Reference

Review of Government Compensation Payments

Terms of Reference

The administration and effectiveness of current mechanisms used by federal and state and territory governments to provide discretionary payments in special circumstances, or to provide financial relief from amounts owing to governments, namely:
  
•  state statutory schemes relating to children in care;
•  payments made under 'defective administration' schemes, such as the Commonwealth Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration;
•  act of grace and ex gratia payments; and
•  waiver of debt schemes.
  
The committee notes that several Senate committees have previously conducted inquiries in relation to Forgotten Australians, Stolen Generation Compensation  and Indigenous Stolen Wages. In light of previous opportunities for detailed consideration of these issues, the primary focus of the current inquiry will be a legal, principles-based comparison between relevant payment schemes relating to children in care and other government schemes providing for discretionary payments.

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone:+61 2 6277 3560
Fax:+61 2 6277 5794
Email:legcon.sen@aph.gov.au

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