During his administration, a workman's compensation bill was vetoed, and a state board of education was established.

He also credits improved education with cutting his workers' compensation bill from over $100,000 in 1985 to $662 last year.

But the prime minister received a lift as Parliament approved the compensation bill by a vote of 59 to 40 after two days of debate.

Even the final workers' compensation bill, they said, was drawn largely from a plan the Assembly Democrats had developed.

In the event, though, the actual compensation bill came out at £589,356.89.

"We don't want to derail what could be an important compensation bill for asbestos disease," she said.

Originally the bill passed today was part of a larger health and compensation bill for the nation's 27.4 million veterans.

The potential compensation bill being passed on to the taxpayer met widespread criticism.

Assemblyman Barbaro, meanwhile, said that he meant no offense in his comments about the workers' compensation bill.

The total compensation bill has been estimated at $100 billion.