Page 1010 - Week 04 - Thursday, 18 June 1992
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SOCIAL POLICY - STANDING COMMITTEE
Report on Proposed Select Committee on Youth Unemployment
MS ELLIS (12.02): I present the Standing Committee on Social Policy's report No. 1 on the proposed select committee on youth unemployment, together with a dissenting report and extracts of minutes of proceedings. I move:
That the report be noted.
In tabling this report on behalf of the Standing Committee on Social Policy and acknowledging that Ms Szuty will be presenting a dissenting report, I would like to take this opportunity to address some of the issues relevant to the committee's discussions and considerations.
At the Social Policy Committee meeting held on 15 April a very frank and open discussion took place among all committee members at which a range of possible inquiry subjects was considered. As members will be aware, the terms of reference of the Social Policy Committee are extremely broad, covering a large number of community social issues. In fact, in informal discussions prior to the 15 April meeting, committee members had contributed to a list of some 10 possible subjects for consideration, any one of which could have properly constituted our first self-referred inquiry. Youth unemployment was included on that list.
At the conclusion of that meeting the committee made the decision to adopt as its first inquiry the inquiry into aged accommodation and support services, as reported by me to this Assembly a moment ago. The adoption of the aged accommodation inquiry and its terms of reference is in no way intended, and should not be seen, as a reflection against any of the other possible areas of inquiry, as outlined in the Social Policy Committee's terms of reference. I am disappointed that, after the committee's careful and proper consideration, Ms Szuty sought the establishment of a select committee on youth unemployment, which would have included the need to remove that subject from the bounds of the Social Policy Committee.
The Assembly has a system of standing committee where members can democratically, I believe, decide on subjects for self-referred inquiries. The committee believes that to use the establishment of a select committee in this way may set an undesirable precedent. As stated in the report:
It has the potential to legitimise the practice of establishing a select committee each time a proposed inquiry is not supported by a majority of members on the relevant standing committee.
Madam Speaker, with regard to the question of youth unemployment, the remaining members of the Social Policy Committee believe it to be - as does Ms Szuty - of concern to our community. We are pleased to note the Standing Committee on Tourism and ACT Promotion's inclusion of tourism related employment in the terms of reference of its current inquiry.
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