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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3763 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I think people can draw their own conclusions about Mr Kaine's motivation. I will not draw any conclusions of my own.

The fact is that the government indicated when this incident occurred that it was intent on making sure that proper restitution was made for all the parties to whom compensation would be payable. The government made the decision that it would immediately enter into discussions with the appointed representative of the Bender family to ensure that that process was achieved.

Negotiations of that kind necessarily involve two parties. They involve the government or its agencies and they involve representatives of the Bender family. Those discussions have continued and, on my best advice, are not yet resolved. It is a mistake to assume that the government is at fault by virtue of the fact that those negotiations have not concluded.

Mr Speaker, we intend to ensure that fair compensation is paid to the Bender family. But we also have a responsibility to make sure that we conduct these negotiations in a proper way. We will ensure as well that the interests of the ACT community are properly represented in those negotiations. While I am Chief Minister, I intend to make sure that is the case.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I ask a supplementary question. Chief Minister, surely there is some question of integrity and principle here. The government did undertake to compensate this family. Are you saying that you believe that four years of waiting is a reasonable time to have left the Bender family in suspense on this matter? Can you not move immediately to pay reasonable compensation to this unfortunate family and stop trying to hide behind excuses?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Kaine does not appear to have heard anything of what I said in my answer to his question. I cannot just write out a cheque and send it to the Bender family because the Bender family representatives need to be prepared to accept that as compensation for the loss that that family has suffered. In case you have not worked out what that means, it means there have to be negotiations between two sides to settle on a figure. I could pile up a lot of money in a truck and drive it to the office of the solicitor concerned. But that is not the way in which any government, or anybody for that matter, conducts such negotiations.

Mr Speaker, I am satisfied that I and my officers in the relevant areas of government have conducted these negotiations sensitively, with due regard to the issues that will be playing on the minds of the Bender family and with regard also to the broader interests of the ACT community. That will be the basis on which the government will continue to have these discussions with the Bender family.

Mr Speaker, I have to say, though, that I find it highly ironic that we hear the words "integrity and principle" from Mr Kaine's mouth-a man who himself has demonstrated by his leaving of his own party 31/2 years ago that he has very little integrity and very little principle in this place.

Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker-

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