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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 5 Hansard (6 May) . . Page.. 1437 ..
MR HUMPRHIES (continuing):
Mr Speaker, there are allegations in there about what things were said by X and Y to the Benders, but there is no reference to me, to the Attorney-General, to my office or in any other way to me of a kind that would support the statement made by Mr Stanhope today in this debate that I instructed this member of my staff to go to the home of the Benders and it influenced in some way the events of this particular coronial proceeding. Is the allegation supported in the claims that Mr Collaery has made in the document that was tabled yesterday in this place? I read from the relevant paragraph of his letter, part of the last paragraph:
Shortly after the tragedy X a Croatian speaking member of Mr Humphries staff went to the Bender family's home with another person who suggested why the Bender family should not employ me as their Counsel. Mr Bender showed them the door. Perhaps Mr Humphries could indicate whether he was aware of the visit.
Mr Collaery is indicating in his letter that he does not know whether I was aware of X's visit to the Benders. He indicates that he does not know; in fact, he asks the question did I know. Did Mr Stanhope ask him that question? Obviously not. Did he ask me, for that matter? No, he did not.
Mr Speaker, let me put on the record in the clearest possible terms I can: A member of my staff did visit the Bender family on more than one occasion shortly after the implosion that killed their daughter. She did so as an active member of the Croatian Congress, which is an organisation representing Croatian people in the ACT. This staff member has been an active member of that organisation for some time. She visited the Bender family at an instigation other than my own. I was unaware of visits before they occurred. I did not instruct this person to make the visits. I did not discuss with her what she might discuss in such visits before she made those visits. The only knowledge I had of those visits occurred after they had taken place.
Mr Speaker, where is the substance of the allegation that I interfered in some way with this matter in those circumstances? A motion of no confidence in the Attorney-General has been moved in this place resting largely on this assertion, repeated in the media this morning, that I sent a staff member to go and influence the Benders. There is no evidence of that - none whatsoever.
Mr Speaker, I want to put on the table evidence quite to the contrary. I will table in a moment a statement from my member of staff. I want first of all to read that statement into the record:
I am making this statement to respond to public allegations that a member of the staff of Mr Gary Humphries attempted to dissuade the Bender family from retaining Mr Bernard Collaery as their solicitor following the tragic death of their daughter Katie.
Because I visited the Bender family as a member of the Croatian community to provide support and assistance following Katie's death I assume that these public comments refer to me.
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