Page 4011 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 30 November 2022
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aggression, and sexual harassment. We have also taken steps to ensure that incidents of sexual assault at the workplace are notifiable under our work health and safety laws. These changes, introduced in the Legislative Assembly in June 2022, will ensure that action is taken to prevent further violence or aggression in the workplace.
The reforms and changes I have spoken about have come as a result of the advocacy of unions. Those on this side of the chamber believe in workers. We put them at the centre of our work. And we know that to make change you need to work with workers and the union movement—because unions make us strong. In particular, I want to thank and acknowledge Matthew Harrison, the outgoing secretary of UnionsACT. He has been a leader who has brought our movement together, and has been instrumental in making the lives of Canberrans better. I will miss his guidance.
This government will always protect the rights of territory workers and strive to improve working conditions for all Canberrans. This is a government that stands up for the security and safety of working people—a government that will continue to pursue new reforms as emerging inequalities and risks arise.
I present the following paper:
Working conditions of casual and contract workers in the ACT—Assembly resolution of 3 May 2022—Government response—Ministerial statement, 30 November 2022.
I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Youth—vaping products—update
Ministerial statement
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Families and Community Services and Minister for Health) (10.32): Today I rise to provide the Assembly with an update on the actions being taken in response to the Legislative Assembly’s motion about vaping product regulation and education.
On 3 August 2021, this Assembly unanimously supported a resolution brought forward by Dr Paterson, which noted the ACT’s position and the national context regarding electronic cigarettes and called on the ACT to continue to develop programs to educate and inform Canberrans about the risk of e-cigarettes and prevent their uptake and use, as well as review relevant legislation to ensure that existing arrangements contribute to minimising the harm caused by e-cigarettes across our community, particularly to young people.
The motion also called on the ACT government to advocate to relevant commonwealth ministers and officials about the implementation of strong national measures for e-cigarettes and vaping products, and to report back to the Assembly on the progress of this work no later than the first sitting week of December 2022.
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