Jim Goodwin: Abuse Survivor on the Government's reparations for the Lake Alice survivors

An abuse survivor says it should be no surprise to the government that Lake Alice survivors aren't jumping up and down with delight.  

The Government's announced it will reimburse survivors' the millions of dollars worth of legal fees from a 2001 Crown settlement.  

It's still considering forms of redress for what happened at the child psychiatric unit, which a Royal Commission investigation found amounted to torture. 

Jim Goodwin told Mike Hosking that while it's a start, the survivors are a cynical group. 

He says they've been mucked around for decades and had to battle for things that should be a right. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
More details run the ongoing response from the state to
the sexual abuse survivors and the Royal Commission into their treatment.
Now the government will reimburse legal fees, was yesterday's announcement.
Ninety five survivors cut a deal back in two thousand
and one with the Crown, but the law firm acting
for the group at the time clip the ticket, so
on average each survivor lost out around twenty seven thousand dollars.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
So.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Jim Goodwin is an abuse survivor who was on the
Royal Commissioned Survivor Advisory Group and is with us. Jim,
very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
So far, from my estimations, we've got a promise, we're
going to do something about it, we've got some good will,
and we've got the first of what presumably is non
going series of deliveries. Are you happy so far?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Ah? I don't think the government should be too surprised
if the Lake Alie survivors aren't jumping up and down
with delight. I mean they've had to struggle to get
things that's sort of been given to them. Yeah, But I.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Think that that's the good will part of it, doesn't
I mean, at least this government has gone Yep, we've
got to do something, and here is our something.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
It's progress, it's a start, it's progress. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Do you worry though, that we'll open the door inevitably,
because I was thinking about this yesterday when I was
listening to Erica Stanford. No matter what they do, someone's
going to be unhappy, aren't they. It's just one of
these issues.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
I think you're right. I think you're right in part. Yes, yes, Yeah.
Survivors a pretty cynical lot, and the Lake Alice group
are very good example of that. I mean, they've been
mucked around for decades. They've had to battle for things
that sort have been given to them as of right.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
The inflation argument that we seem to have yesterday, if
you're covering a bill, what were they arguing? In other words,
you missed out and if you'd got the money at
the time, ad the inflation, you'd have something more substantive. Now,
the Stanford argument that all the governments have done it
without inflation. Does that ring true or hold water for
you or not?

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Oh? I think that's a bit of a side issue. Yeah,
I don't think that's the main issue. It's great that
the government as steeping up and reimbursing legal costs. It
would be nice if they could adjust for inflation, but
it's a bit of a side issue.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Really, what weight do you place on the apology which
is coming in a couple of weeks.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
Quite a lot, quite a lot of weight. I hope
it's very heartfelt, but I hope it's also followed up
with action.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, let's ope it's Jim appreciate it, Jim Goodwin. I
was looking at Erica Stanford yesterday, and I gave you
on the program yesterday the ongoing disaster that is the
immigration system in this country and the waiting times that
we've got to put up with, and even the head
of the Immigration Service was saying it's not good enough.
And I'm looking at Erica Stanford on this. I'm looking
at Erica Stamford in immigration, and I'm looking at Erica

(02:46):
Stanford in education, all areas that are dire, and I'm
wondering if you stretched too thin. For more from the
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