David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members for Lindsay and Hume have asked me questions related to damage caused to the front doors and gift shop of Parliament House during a demonstration in 1996. While documentation related to these matters has been archived and is still being examined, in the interim I am able to offer some limited advice.

On 3 September 1996 the then Presiding Officers wrote to the Trades and Labour Council of the Australian Capital Territory and sought payment of $91,000 for the cost of the damage. The Trades and Labour Council issued a press release on 11 September 1996 accepting organisational responsibility for the demonstration but no apportionment of blame was accepted for the riot. The press release further stated the responsibility lay with those individuals directly involved with assault and vandalism.

On 25 March 1997 the Speaker advised the House that charges had been laid against 12 people and that a number of convictions had been made. I will provide further information to the members for Lindsay and Hume when available and as appropriate.