Page 637 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 30 March 2021
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While the application of the Charter of Procurement Values is dependent on the category, size, risk and scope of the individual procurement, our government has been clear that this is something we want to strengthen, going forward. The parliamentary agreement outlined a number of areas of procurement reform, including that we want to ensure that all businesses obtaining government contracts are meeting high ethical and labour standards.
As we embark on strengthening our government’s procurement approach and procurement values over the term, we acknowledge that more can be done when it comes to diversity, equality and inclusion, particularly in addressing workplace sexual harassment and the associated psychosocial injuries that it presents.
I am looking forward to working with Ms Orr to implement clauses (h) through (j) of this motion. They would require all government partners and contractors to publicly report, across a range of categories, the number of harassment, sexual harassment and gender-based violence incidents that occur within the organisation while contracted by the ACT government; require all government partners and contractors to publicly report across the categories the number of non-disclosure agreements entered into which pertain to incidents of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and gender-based violence within the organisation while contracted by the ACT government; and require the development of associated guidelines. This is going to be important to meet our procurement values over the term. I am looking forward to working with Ms Orr to make sure that we can deal with the risks of injury that come with sexual harassment in the workplace.
MR BRADDOCK (Yerrabi) (4.30): I wish to add my contribution to this very important debate and say that this is not a women’s issue—this is a men’s issue. We men need to stand up and take ownership of this problem and be part of the solution as to how we manage this as a society. When 52 per cent of the population is doing poorly, that is not sustainable and is not something we can continue to do. We need to be able to work together effectively to address this. And that involves men taking ownership of the problem and being part of the solution in terms of calling out each other’s behaviour when it is not acceptable, saying that it is not okay, taking effective action, and making sure our workplaces are safe for everyone, not just for the alpha type or the boys-will-be-boys type, but making sure they are truly inclusive for those who are vulnerable or disabled or from minority groups. This is such an important issue that we cannot let lie.
I am proud to be a part of the Greens party. I am proud to be part of a party which has such strong women in its party room who are such strong vocal advocates for societal change and who were there with me at the March 4 Justice last week. I also support this motion.
MS VASSAROTTI (Kurrajong) (4.33): I, too, thank Ms Orr for her motion. This is a great example of parties coming together to address a really important and significant issue. One of the key things about this issue from a work health and safety perspective is that it is fairly and squarely an industrial issue. This is not an issue around what happens in the personal life; it is about how we support safe workplaces for everyone. I thank Ms Orr for the motion and I am very happy that the ACT Greens will be supporting this motion.
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