Survivors of institutional child abuse say a national apology is welcome but financial compensation should be the priority.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has pledged to deliver an apology to victims of institutional sexual abuse on behalf of all Australians by the end of the year.
"We owe it to survivors not to waste this moment and we must continue to be guided by their wishes," he told parliament on Thursday.
"As a nation, we must mark this occasion in a form that reflects the wishes of survivors and that affords them the dignity to which they were entitled as children, but which was denied to them by the very people who were tasked with their care."
Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN) chief executive Leonie Sheedy is also calling for police, institutions and religious bodies to say sorry as well.
"They need to be on their knees apologising to us,” she told SBS News.
CLAN is calling for an April 1 deadline for organisations to comply to the redress scheme, saying they've had five years notice to do so.
"If those organisations and states are not going to opt in to the national redress scheme, then those organisations that enjoy the taxpayers' dollars, then they need to start paying taxes."
Abuse survivor Ray Leary is calling for a national day to remember and pay tribute to survivors.
Mr Leary is among the forgotten Australians - one of thousands of children abused in care between 1920 and 1980. His siblings were also abused in care.
For him, the wounds of abuse are still raw.
“They abused us, they raped us and they mentally disturbed us. So in life, at 56 years old, I'm still carrying my childhood scars," he told SBS News.
Mr Leary will be there for the prime minister's apology, but also wants the redress scheme finalised.
“We feel we've done our part now it's time for the prime minister, the states and churches to do theirs," he said.
“I'd like to think it's going to do a lot but you know they're just words at the moment, let's act on it, let's do something, you know, there's a lot of people hurting because of the evidence they've given to the royal commission.”
The prime minister is urging the states, territories and churches not to delay signing up to the national redress scheme, for which the government has already pledged over $50 million.
Mr Turnbull will address the Council of Australian Governments meeting Thursday, and is expected to detail the latest action by the government on the redress scheme.
