Page 197 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 May 1989
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Mr Kaine also mentioned - or criticised - legislation on affirmative action. I must say it has got some sort of a relationship to occupational health and safety. Workers were unable to secure a safe workplace, except where they had strong industrial muscle, in the absence of legislation. It is now proved that the only way to secure that is by way of legislation. The same thing has happened where affirmative action has been left to the bosses. They have not delivered. In my view a firmer hand in terms of discretion for male bosses is required.
Another comment that Mr Kaine made related to women choosing not to participate. I think that is an inadequate assessment of the real situation. If it is the case that a larger group are choosing not to participate, I do not really think that it is because they are opting out of the system, but because women are in a considerably weaker position. Therefore, they are unable to participate as well as men. That position has to be rectified.
Dr Kinloch talked about affirmative action. I must say that the Rally's choice of policies would have been better balanced if Labor's women's policy had been picked up and had been made to look as amazingly similar as do some of the Rally's other policies.
Mr Collaery criticised the union movement on the issue of women. The union movement is the representative of workers, and of course, men have been the dominant factor in the labour force. In some ways, it is a fact of life that males have dominated the union movement throughout industrial history in Australia. But I would have to say, through my experience in the union movement, that the unions are far and away ahead in addressing the issue of female participation in the union movement than are any of the major employer groups. That can be seen by mentioning a couple of examples in the ACT where the Labour Council has encouraged the participation of women in its executive, and the major union in the ACT is now headed by a woman. I refer to the ACT branch of the ACOA.
A member: Winsome Hall.
MR BERRY: Yes, Winsome Hall. I think the union movement is far and away ahead on this matter. Turning to my portfolio area, the ACT Labor Government is strongly committed to improving the health and well-being of all women in the ACT, giving a major focus to those most at risk or most disadvantaged. We aim to encourage the health system to be more responsive to the needs of women, and to promote greater participation by women in decision making about health and community services in the ACT. The women's health movement has been at the forefront in recognising that health is determined by a broad range of social, environmental, economic and biological factors.
Differences in health status and health outcome are directly linked, not only to gender but to such things as
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