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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 5 Hansard (6 May) . . Page.. 1442 ..

MR HUMPRHIES (continuing):

There were lots of people at the Bender house, so we did not really get a chance to talk to the family, but I did tell them how sorry we all were and that if they needed anything from the community we were there for them.

X and I had a conversation, outside the Bender house, where I suggested that she come and see the Bender family when things had settled down and talk to them about whether they needed anything. X agreed to do this.

X told me that she went to the Bender house with Y. She told me that she has said to the Bender family that if there is anything that they need the Croatian community is only too willing to help them.

We discussed at our next Croatian Congress meeting ways to help the Bender family.

X has always been a valued member of this community. She was instrumental in being involved in the recognition of Croatia by Australia and undertook a enormous amount of work to make sure that Croatia and Croatians were portrayed in a positive way. She was part of delegations that went to see the former Prime Minister, Paul Keating and the former Foreign Affairs Minister, Gareth Evans.

I have been the President of the Croatian Congress for Australia for 2 years and the Vice President. I have also been the President of the Croatian Community in Canberra for a number of years. This goes to show that Croatians are happy with the work that I do.

I cannot understand why Mr Collaery would even think that we would be concerned about discussing him with the Bender family. Our concern was with the well-being of the Bender family, not about what lawyer they should or shouldn't have.

I know that X has always included Mr Collaery as a guest speaker at most of the demonstrations and rallies for recognition of Croatia that we have had; and I have always made sure that Mr Collaery is invited to all the community's functions.

It was signed "Mirko Skrnjug". I table that statement as well, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, those three statements are all very clear about a number of things. They are clear about the fact that Mr Skrnjug, the head of the Croatian community in Canberra, initiated the request for X to visit the home of the Benders. It is also very clear from at least one of the statements that it was not I who initiated those visits. It is also very clear from those statements that a number of other things asserted by Mr Collaery are untrue. The reference to these people being shown the door is clearly untrue, as is the reference to X being the person who initiated or conducted a conversation concerning Mr Collaery's suitability to be the counsel for the Bender family. It is clear that that was

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