Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee, , 1:19:10 to 1:22:50
The committee discusses the transfer of properties between religious orders and school authorities, specifically the Christian Brothers and Edmund Rice Education Australia, and the implications for redress and financial oversight.
Topics: Education, Integrity
Speakers: Senator Penny Allman-Payne, Ms. Meg Brighton, Senator Jess Walsh
>> All right. Thanks, Minister. Um and yeah, we look forward to being kept up to date with how this investigation progresses. I think it's really important for the safety uh of staff and students and and we shouldn't have any kids uh being subject to behavior like that in any school. Um my next lot of my next question goes to um is in relation to the Christian Brothers scheme uh where the Christian brothers transferred 26 separate properties uh for virtually a dollar or nothing to the Edmund Rice Education Australia. Um my understanding is that the transferred property received by Edund Rice Education Australia was worth 891 million. It's now valued up to 2 billion. And we had a situation where they were seeking uh to deny any obligation for compensation uh and only after public pressure uh they agreed to take on the responsibility for redress to the survivors of Christian Brothers abuse. Um given that context uh minister will the minister commission or support a review of related party transactions and asset transfers between religious orders and school approved authorities given the Royal Commission's findings and the precedent now being set in the Christian Brothers scheme.
>> Uh thanks Senator. Um I'm advised um that the department um has written to the Edund Rice um Education Australia um foundation or entity and I think Miss Brighton can um uh give you more information about that. Senator,
>> uh my question is broader than that though. So this is one example of where that's happened. The question is around will you support a review into related party transaction and asset transfers between religious orders and school approved authorities so that we can check whether this is going on in other instances.
>> Well, I understand that uh the first um step is that the department is seeking information about um the asset holdings and disposals um over time. uh and that that is the step that the department has taken uh and that they're continuing to assess and um monitor the situation and engage uh with um agencies um about um those matters about asset holdings and disposals. Um, Miss Brighton may be able to assist further.
>> And Senator, what I would add to that, um, Minister's completely correct, our investigation is in flight at the moment and we are looking at asset movements across entities. Um, it is a a complex matter and uh, it is going to take us a little bit of time and we're also working with uh, other parties to get underneath the covers. Like with most of our investigations and compliance action, if we find insights that warrant a broader look at a sector overall, then we will provide advice back to government. But an instance of one example that we're investigating does not necessarily point to a whole range of issues across an entire sector. Um, but we do keep a pretty close eye on these things and if we need to provide further advice to government about a a broader approach, we will do so. Uh that advice will be determined based on um the findings of um investigations.
>> Okay. Uh we look forward to an update on this one too and whether further stuff comes out of that. Um chair, do I have time for one more question in this block?