Page 2202 - Week 07 - Thursday, 6 June 1991
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of Mr Humphries; and we are unable to perform any good service to the people of the ACT by continuing to prop up that situation.
MS MAHER (4.20): I rise today in disbelief that the Opposition has had the nerve to bring this motion, given its appalling and lazy performance in government and in opposition. It has been notorious in its use of scare tactics on the most vulnerable members of the community. It has been scandalous in its promises to the community. But, worse still, it has been cruel and mischievous in promising what it cannot deliver in education and health. It is a cruel hoax on the community.
I have spent many hours in consultation with community groups, women's groups and many individuals, trying to allay their fears. Unnecessary fears, cruel scare tactics and misleading letters have stemmed from that lazy and ill-informed Opposition over there. They are tactics so low that I am amazed that Ms Follett was a party to them. It is amazing how tarnished she looks when a party to such low acts of frightening the community - low acts like misinformation to tenants of Housing Trust homes, misinformation on health and education, and misinformation on the availability of services to the community. And Ms Follett has been involved every inch of the way. In government, she treated the community with contempt, and in opposition she continues. It will be a shameful day if a Follett led government is ever returned to this Assembly.
This Government has a strong commitment to social issues. My personal commitment, both as an MLA and in my capacity as Executive Deputy to the Chief Minister, has ensured that we have progressed the Government's social equity programs. For example, a couple of major projects that this Government has pursued, and is still pursuing, are the review of training and skills development options for women and a plan of action for women in TAFE. These projects will improve access to training for women which will help their chances to get the jobs they want and ensure the training to realise their full potential. A top priority, for example, is helping women to get back into the work force after they have had children or have been out of the work force for other reasons.
This Government is committed to producing a plan for women in ACT TAFE, to complement the national plan of action for women in TAFE. The national plan has been developed with a lot of consultation with which I have been involved. The plan aims to accelerate and coordinate current action to improve women's access to and achievements in all Australian TAFE systems. I am convening a task force on developing that ACT action plan.
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