Page 219 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 30 May 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Those government bodies, like a number of other bodies, have had historically and currently a very, very low representation of women on them, despite the fact that women represent 50 per cent of the population. What I am talking about here is giving women the opportunity to be equally represented on those boards and authorities.
There is no question in my mind that there are adequately qualified women available in the community to serve on these boards, and indeed the Administration has a register of such women who are available. One significant product of all the publicity surrounding this issue has been the number of phone calls and approaches that I, the Women's Unit and the public relations area have had from women who wish to serve on these bodies. They are only too happy to put forward a curriculum vitae and make themselves available, as so many people are when it comes to serving their community.
So I believe that it is quite a reasonable proposition that women who represent 50 per cent of the population - slightly over it, in fact - should be represented in equal proportion on those boards which are there to serve the community. I believe, also, that there are a number of other groups that are not adequately represented. They would include people from non-English speaking backgrounds, Aboriginal people and so on. They are hopelessly under-represented there as well.
But, of course, they do not represent 50 per cent of the community whereas women do. Where there are positions available on those boards, the Government will stick to its intention of making sure that 50 per cent of those positions are taken by women.
ASBESTOS REMOVAL
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is directed to the Minister for Housing and Urban Services. I note the Minister's advice to the Assembly last week that the Government believes that loose asbestos fibre insulation in Canberra homes does pose a potential health risk to residents. I refer the Minister to a publication entitled "Asbestos Insulation in ACT Homes" put out by the Administration, and in particular to page 6 of that publication which has a sentence which reads:
Providing proper precautions are taken to ensure airborne fibres do not enter the living area of houses there is no appreciable risk to residents of houses that contain the loose asbestos fibre insulation material.
I ask the Minister: was this, like the statements of Mr McKenry of the Asbestos Branch, referred to last week, a
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .