Page 557 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 May 1992
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MS SZUTY (4.22): I am pleased that these amendments express in clear terms the requirements of employers, which are authorities, boards or trusts, to treat all potential and existing employees equally without discrimination of any kind. After all, it is the basic right of all citizens to participate equally in the life of the community, and this means access to paid employment.
The reporting requirements of the amending legislation, that EEO reports be made available to the Minister responsible, are to be commended. It is to be hoped that sufficient staff and resources are available to Ministers to ensure that these reports are more than just noted, that they are followed by the wider community with keen interest.
The Minister, in his speech, drew particular attention regarding EEO to the work of the Fire Brigade, the Teaching Service and the Electricity and Water Authority. It is particularly pleasing that promotion in the Fire Brigade is now on the basis of qualifications for the job, rather than seniority. This will encourage young potential firefighters and support staff to improve their qualifications and give them achievable goals to aim for. While an EEO policy has been in existence for some time in the Teaching Service, the amendment Bill gives more structure to those provisions.
The premises and philosophy of equal employment opportunity have been with Australia since the late 1970s. Equal employment opportunity was not an easy concept for many people to come to terms with, and still there are those few who would prefer to return to employment through patronage and promotion through length of service in the job, regardless of skills, aptitude or qualifications.
As a result of these EEO amendments, people from particular target groups applying for work with the various authorities, boards or trusts will be able to apply confidently for positions for which they are qualified, without the despair that comes from feeling that it is not worth the effort. There are also valid grounds for appeal so that everyone in the employment process knows their rights and obligations.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (4.25): I am very pleased to add my voice in support of these Bills. I will leave the detailed questions that Mr Kaine raised to Mr Connolly to address, which I am sure he will do with great delight. I would like to reiterate that, as a government, we see equal employment opportunity as a really integral part of our social justice agenda. I have said many times that, as far as EEO goes, the runs are not yet on the board. As a government, we have taken action to address that matter, and the Bills that are before us are part of that agenda. Earlier this year, I launched the ACT Government Service equal employment policy. It is titled "Setting the Agenda", and it introduces service-wide strategies to be implemented in all agencies.
These Bills, which formally extend EEO provisions to the ACT statutory authorities, are a further part of the Government's strong commitment to equal employment opportunity. I foreshadowed their introduction when I presented the Discrimination Bill last year, and they were identified in the course of the last election campaign; Labor mentioned them in our election platform.
The Government is taking this initiative as another step to ensure that all ACT Government employees are covered by equal employment opportunity principles and practices. The Bills provide for merit to be applied to the appointment and promotion of staff to the statutory authorities of the ACT. This involves the
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