1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Don't together do see a bit of a win for 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: survivors of Lake Alice today the government's announced it will 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: reimburse these survivors for around twenty seven thousand dollars worth 4 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: of legal fees each, which dates back to a settlement 5 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: with the government in two thousand and one where the 6 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: law firm acting for the survivors clipped the ticket. Eric 7 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: Stanford is the Minister in charge of the Abuse and 8 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: Care Response. He erica, Hi, how are you? 9 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 2: Why? 10 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: I well, thank you? Why are you doing this? 11 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 2: Look? It's the right thing to do. It's been over 12 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: twenty years of it and historical injustice whereby one group 13 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 2: of Lake Elis survivors had their legal fees deducted from 14 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 2: their redress, whereas subsequent groups didn't. And look, many subsequent 15 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 2: governments have chosen not to write this, but it is 16 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 2: the right thing to do and Cabinet have made that 17 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 2: decision that we will reimburse their legal fees. 18 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: Should the law firm Grant Cameron and associates have clipped 19 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: the ticket like this. 20 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 2: Look, that's a question for mister Cameron that you'll have 21 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: to put to him. 22 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: But should they have word free? I mean the counterfactor 23 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: as they would have worked for free, should they have No. 24 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: Obviously, lawyers are allowed to take a certain percentage. And 25 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: the thing for the government though, is that in the 26 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 2: second round and subsequent redress claims that we've had, we 27 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 2: have paid the legal fees for all of those Lake 28 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 2: Ellis claimants and we didn't for the first round and 29 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 2: it's just not been put right and now it has been. 30 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: Do you have a problem with how much they clipped 31 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 1: the ticket because forty percent is a lot. 32 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, as I said, I just don't want to 33 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: get into that. It's a question for mister Cameron. We're 34 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 2: just putting it right. 35 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: Are you going to I mean, are you seeking any 36 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,960 Speaker 1: reimbursement from the firm or are you just going to 37 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: double pay this? Basically, no, we're not. 38 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 2: We will just be We will just be paying those 39 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: claimants back. 40 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: How many of the ninety five who settled in two 41 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:43,839 Speaker 1: thousand and one are still. 42 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: Alive, It's hard to say. We don't have all of 43 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 2: the information, you know, we are thinking about seventy. But look, 44 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: we will see who comes forward. We've left it open. 45 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 2: We're going to make it in the expedited process and 46 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 2: we'll see who comes forward. We don't have unfortunately, all 47 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 2: of their details. We've got many details in some of 48 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 2: them I'm in touch with myself, but there will be 49 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 2: many of them that we have old information for, so 50 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 2: we're relying on them to come forward to us. 51 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: And where are you at with the final settlement? How 52 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: far away is that yet? 53 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 2: In terms of like Alice the redress for torture, the 54 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 2: Prime Minister has said on the record that it is 55 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 2: a priority for us this year and we've been working 56 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: through the finer details and we're taking papers through Cabinet. 57 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: Erica really quickly, because of course you are the Education 58 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: Minister as well. What do you make of that Erro 59 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: report today on the truancy Completely unsurprising. We've known for 60 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: a long time that you know, our kids aren't going 61 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: to school. The chronic numbers you know, we've known have 62 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: been increasing. I think that the really key question is 63 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 1: schools can't deal with us on their own. These are 64 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: you know, for some of these children that are transient, 65 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 1: they've got severe trauma in their lives, dysfunctional homes, many 66 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: of them have been severely bollied. So look, I think 67 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: schools are going to need a lot of support, not 68 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: only from the Ministry of Education, but from other departments 69 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: as well. Erica, thanks very much appreciated. Eric Stanford, Minister 70 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: responsible for the government's response to the Abuse and Care inquiry, 71 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: also Education Minister for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 72 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: Listen live to news talks they'd be from four pm weekdays, 73 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.