Page 959 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 17 June 1992
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Again this will assist women in the work force to achieve greater continuity in their working lives and provide opportunities for their partners to assist them in this process.
We should not forget that some women choose another path, that of a full-time carer. Too often in our fast-moving society we overlook the efforts of those women in the unpaid work force. In the ACT this caring role is given greater recognition through its inclusion in our discrimination legislation. The Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination on grounds including being a parent or having responsibilities as a carer. This existing statutory protection will be enhanced by the introduction of legislation designed to provide greater protection to the partners in domestic relationships, including de facto couples and carers. One of the reforms of this legislation will be to provide for property settlements after separation. Implementation of the Government's policy on women's neighbourhood groups is intended to help to break down the isolation that some women feel while in that caring role. Initial work with the community on this proposal has indicated that there are two essential elements to the success of these groups - the provision of adjunct child-care and flexibility in organised activities.
My Government's highest priority is given to the protection of women and children from violence, particularly domestic violence. It is my view that assault in the home is a crime and should be treated as such within the criminal justice system. Members will be aware that the Community Law Reform Committee is currently reviewing the domestic violence legislation and its application in the ACT. The committee will soon be calling for public submissions following its release of a discussion paper on domestic violence in the ACT. The Community Law Reform Committee has already made an interim report on a number of matters which it considers need urgent attention. One of the issues considered in this report is the strengthening of police powers to remove firearms in domestic violence situations in order to provide more effective protection to victims. The intention of this initiative is to extend powers to allow for the seizure of weapons and to extend the power to search for weapons. Madam Speaker, legislative amendments resulting from this interim report are to be introduced by the Attorney-General in this current session for members of the Assembly to consider.
Another vital piece of legislation to ensure greater protection for women will also be introduced in this session. I refer, of course, to the portability arrangements for protection orders. This issue has been the subject of discussion at many national forums, including the meeting of Premiers and Chief Ministers held in November 1991. At that conference I sought agreement to speed up the process for implementing a scheme for the portability of protection orders. One of the key features of this new legislation is the registration of interstate protection orders in the Magistrates Court, making them enforceable by the Australian Federal Police. Cross-border breaches of protection orders are a particular concern in the ACT, given its geographic location. It will be possible for breaches to be enforced when an offender re-enters the ACT by amending the Domestic Violence Act and the Magistrates Court Act to cover conduct carried on outside the ACT.
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