I speak in strong support of the Victims Rights and Victims of Crime Commissioner Bill 2025. I thank the member for Orange and reflect on his thoughtful and authentic contribution. Every victim of crime deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. They deserve to have their voices heard, their experiences recognised and their rights protected. For too long, the systems that are meant to support victims have been constrained by structures that make it difficult for them to be truly independent, transparent and accountable.
This bill delivers on a key election commitment of the Minns Labor Government to appoint an independent advocate for victims of crime by establishing a new independent Victims Rights Commissioner, separate from the existing administrative and service delivery functions of government. The commitment we made to the people of New South Wales was clear: A Minns Labor Government would appoint an independent victims commissioner who would act as a true advocate for victims. We recognised that victims need a commissioner who can focus solely on advocacy and oversight, supported by a separate structure responsible for service delivery. Victims and advocacy groups have been consistent and vocal on this issue. They want someone who is on their side, who can challenge government when necessary, who can speak truth to power and do so without fear or favour. Under this bill, that is exactly what they will get.
At present, the Victims Rights and Support Act 2013 sets out the rights of victims and establishes the Victims Support Scheme. The Act also contains the Charter of Victims Rights. The document outlines 18 fundamental rights that must be upheld when victims of crime engage with the justice system and with government agencies. They include the right to be treated with courtesy and respect, the right to access counselling and welfare services, the right to receive information about investigations and prosecutions, and the right to be protected from unnecessary contact with offenders. Those principles are at the heart of how we should treat victims of crime in New South Wales. However, the delivery and enforcement of those rights must continue to evolve to ensure that the system remains fair, transparent and effective.
The bill includes the expansion of some of those rights to ensure that those who have been missed or have been unable to access incredibly basic things, like counselling and welfare services, under the current scheme can be covered. I saw firsthand those cracks in the system when I responded to the concerns of Angelina Kauffman, who was the mother of Alina Kauffman and Ernesto Salazar. [Quorum called for.]
[The bells having been rung and a quorum having formed, business resumed.]
As I was explaining, the gaps in the current system are all too heartbreaking when you meet with people in your community who have been impacted and who are unable to access support under the previous system. I reflect on the pain and the distress of Angelina Kaufmann, the mother of Alina Kaufmann and Ernesto Salazar, who were brutally killed in a road crime just over two years ago now. If the mother of the victims of that crime had been able to access counselling and support in a more systematic way, that would have assisted to relieve some of that distress and pain, compared with what she had to endure.
As previous speakers have outlined, the process can be incredibly traumatic for victims and their loved ones. Victims Services NSW already delivers critical support under the Victims Support Scheme. In the 2023-24 financial year it approved more than 32,000 applications for counselling support, 15,000 applications for immediate financial assistance, over 5,000 applications for economic loss payments and more than 11,000 recognition payments. In total, almost $120 million in support was provided to victims of crime. Those achievements show the scale and importance of this work. The changes in this bill are designed to strengthen that work by clearly defining the distinct functions of advocacy and administration, allowing each to operate more effectively in the interests of victims.
The Victims Rights and Victims of Crime Commissioner Bill 2025 establishes a new independent Victims Rights Commissioner who will act as an advocate and oversight body for victims, and a new scheme executive who will administer the Victims Support Scheme and associated services. The independent commissioner will focus on systemic advocacy, oversight and accountability. They will promote and enforce the Charter of Victims Rights, investigate complaints about breaches of that charter and make recommendations for improvement. They will be able to conduct reviews into systemic issues affecting victims, engage with victims groups and government agencies and report their findings directly to Parliament.
Meanwhile, the scheme executive will continue the day-to-day operation of victims services, including counselling, financial assistance and recognition payments. This structure ensures continuity of service delivery while strengthening advocacy and oversight. Each body will have a clear mandate and focus. The bill provides that the independent commissioner will be an independent statutory officeholder appointed by the Governor for a term of up to five years and eligible for reappointment once. The commissioner will not be directed by the Minister in the exercise of their functions. This ensures genuine independence and provides security of tenure—a vital safeguard for any statutory advocate. The importance of this reform cannot be overstated. Independence builds confidence. It tells victims that their experiences matter and that their feedback will help shape a better system wherein they can advocate for a sense of justice and systemic change, where needed.
Victims need an advocate who can speak up about the systemic challenges they face, such as delays in accessing support, gaps in counselling availability or difficulties navigating the justice process. They need someone who can look across the system, identify where improvements can be made and push for reform. This bill allows the independent commissioner to make recommendations, publish findings and report to Parliament where necessary. In doing so, it brings transparency and accountability to an area that deeply affects the lives of thousands of people across our State. It also brings New South Wales into line with best practice in other jurisdictions. In Victoria and Queensland, independent commissioners for victims of crime already exist, operating separately from the departments that deliver support. These models have strengthened public confidence and allowed systemic issues to be addressed more effectively. This bill ensures New South Wales meets that same standard. [Extension of time]
Under the bill, the independent commissioner will have two main categories of functions—systemic advocacy and charter functions. Systemic advocacy functions will include identifying and reviewing issues that affect victims across the justice system, promoting research, consulting with victims and advocacy groups and making recommendations to improve government policy and practice. In relation to the Charter of Victims Rights, the commissioner will oversee its implementation, publish codes and guidelines, handle complaints and make recommendations to government agencies to improve compliance.
If the commissioner investigates a complaint and finds a breach, they may recommend actions such as an apology, staff training, policy changes or the provision of additional information to the victim. They may also report on these matters to Parliament, ensuring transparency and accountability. The commissioner will be supported by a victims advisory committee, which will include community members with diverse experience, including at least one Aboriginal representative. This ensures the voices of those directly affected by crime are heard and reflected in the commissioner's work. Importantly, the bill maintains all existing entitlements under the Victims Support Scheme. Victims will continue to have access to counselling, immediate financial assistance, economic loss payments and recognition payments. In 2023-24, $39.8 million was spent on counselling alone, helping victims of violence, domestic abuse, modern slavery and road crimes to recover and rebuild their lives.
The bill ensures that those services continue, administered efficiently and effectively by the new scheme executive. It also introduces a small but important amendment to extend counselling entitlements for the extended family members of road crime victims, bringing them into line with the entitlements available to families of victims of acts of violence. This change reflects fairness and compassion for families who have suffered devastating loss through no fault of their own and families who need support, guidance and mentoring to navigate grief and loss. This reform is aligned with other independent advocacy models that have proven effective such as the Ageing and Disability Commissioner, the Anti-slavery Commissioner and the Advocate for Children and Young People, who operate independently to champion the rights of vulnerable groups. The new independent Victims Rights Commissioner will champion the rights of victims of crime.
Each of these offices demonstrates the value of statutory independence. They allow for fearless advocacy, constructive criticism and meaningful reform. Victims of crime deserve no less. At its heart, this bill is about trust. It is about ensuring that when victims reach out for help, they are met with a system that listens, supports and protects them. It is about creating an advocate who stands with victims, not over them, and who can challenge systems, drive reform and give a voice to those who have suffered harm. The separation of advocacy from administration is not just a bureaucratic adjustment, but a moral statement about how we value victims and how seriously we take their rights.
This bill delivers on a promise made to the people of New South Wales. It delivers the independence that victims groups have long called for and ensures that the rights of victims will be championed by an advocate who is accountable only to the public interest. I thank the Minister, his staff and the department for bringing the bill to the House and for their hard work in ensuring that this much‑needed measure can finally be rolled out to improve the rights of victims and to ensure that they are listened to effectively. I commend the bill to the House.
