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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4109 ..

MR OSBORNE: My question was to be to Mr Kaine, but I think I will ask it of you, Mr Humphries. It is about cemeteries. In April this year, Mr Berry asked Mr Kaine a question about your Government having any plans to sell the ACT's public cemeteries. In response, Mr Kaine said that there had been a proposal initiated by the private sector and that it was being considered. Perhaps Mrs Carnell can answer it. I will ask the question of whoever would like to jump up. Minister, I ask you: Was the proposal that your Government was considering put forward by the world's largest funeral group, the American giant, Services Corporation International, or any of its Australian affiliates - remembering, of course, that Tobin Brothers is already owned by the Australian arm of that group? Has any member of your Government met with the Services Corporation International's lobbyist, the high profile Victorian Liberal, Michael Kroger, to discuss the matter? If so, what were the discussions about? If not, which group has made the proposal to which Mr Kaine referred? What is the nature of the proposal? Is the Government still seriously considering it?

MR HUMPHRIES: I have some knowledge of this matter in my own right because I have, in fact, met with a representative - I think, the legal representative - of that corporation you referred to, a certain Mr Kroger from Melbourne.

Mrs Carnell: Does he know Mr Knop?

MR HUMPHRIES: He may know Mr Knop, too. Yes, that could be a problem, could it not? He did not offer me a job.

Mrs Carnell: He might have done something for Lend Lease once.

MR HUMPHRIES: He might have done something for Lend Lease; that is true. So, we have a problem here. I do not know whether I have too much of a conflict of interest to answer the question.

Mr Whitecross: Resign, Gary; to be on the safe side.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is the safe thing to do; I will just resign. Mr Kroger certainly discussed with the Government the possibility of obtaining land for a facility - if not for cremations, then for other services associated with funerals - on the southern side of Canberra. I think he was interested to see whether land was available near or in the Woden Cemetery or possibly further south in the Tuggeranong Valley. The Government has been prepared to consider the issues raised, but the Government certainly is not in the market to sell its cemetery - or any of its cemeteries, for that matter, if we own more than one; I am not sure that we do. We have also considered a request to make some land available for a crematorium at Woden and have rejected that advance. It is not possible, we believe, to make that land available for that purpose; and we have indicated to that company that we cannot do so. If there are other proposals to enhance the range of funeral services available to people in South Canberra or elsewhere, we will certainly look at those, whether they come from a major international corporation or elsewhere. I can say at this stage that there is no active consideration of anything involving any transfer of ownership of any facilities that the ACT presently operates.

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