Page 398 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 June 1989
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that your petitioners most humbly request the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory to repeal the Australian Capital Territory Casino Control Ordinance 1988.
by Dr Kinloch (from 1,180 citizens).
Petition received.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Sexual Harassment
MR WOOD: I direct a question to the Chief Minister. Given that the Human Rights Commission no longer has an office in Canberra, what provisions exist for the reporting of charges of sexual harassment within the ACT Administration and for any necessary subsequent action?
MS FOLLETT: I am sure all members would agree that it was an occasion for great regret when the Human Rights Commission did move out of the ACT. It left us in a position of having, for one thing, no place where people could make a complaint of discrimination. I hope that the Government will be able to address that matter very quickly, and the whole issue of discrimination.
However, there are currently some options available for staff who do have a complaint about sexual harassment, and those options consist of both formal and informal arrangements. For instance, staff may contact a staff counsellor, who is available to assist them. There are also sexual harassment contact officers available throughout the Administration. Less formally, staff would be able to make a complaint to the supervisor or to the Head of ACT Administration. I think the most commonly overlooked course of action in cases of sexual harassment is for the matter to actually be discussed with the person who has been causing the offence. It is also still open to staff, I am told, to lodge a written complaint to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission at its head office in Sydney, so I would suggest that it might be most appropriate if staff were to take local action as a first course of action and to follow some of the steps that I have outlined.
Leader of the Opposition
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, my question is directed to you as Speaker. Will you advise the Assembly whether the legal opinion concerning the election of a Leader of the Opposition has been received and, if not, when the opinion is likely to be received? I further ask you, Mr Speaker, whether you are aware that members of the Liberal Party are
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