Page 2023 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 8 September 1992
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I turn now to some particular target groups which, as I said, I believe ought to be looked at in relation to the achievement of social justice. Firstly, I refer to the position of women. Madam Speaker, the domestic violence legislation in the ACT is very advanced. It is something that all in this chamber are proud of. We have the ACT Community Law Reform Committee reviewing that legislation. I believe that it is important that we remain at the forefront in that matter. In fact the Women's Consultative Council will also be involved in that review, and a discussion paper will be released in the next few months. Madam Speaker, we broke new ground in the ACT in arranging for reciprocal protection orders under domestic violence legislation. Again, I think that is something that all of us in the chamber can be very proud of; nevertheless, it is a matter which the Labor Government initiated.
Also for women, Madam Speaker, the Labor Government has initiated the tradeswomen on the move coordinator, a mature aged women's traineeship which was piloted from February to June 1992, and the training that has been provided to community organisations to assist women undertaking training prior to their re-entry into the work force. We have funded women on low incomes to undertake TAFE vocational courses. We have kept up a series of businesswomen's seminars and we have worked on the recognition of skills gained by women through their unpaid work experience. I think they are all achievements that we can be proud of, along with our continuing policy that women should occupy 50 per cent of the positions on government boards and committees.
Madam Speaker, in the area of sexual assault, the Government is currently reviewing the adequacy of protection for women and children under that law, and that involves, again, the Attorney-General's Department and the Women's Consultative Committee. On that subject, I have appointed a second Women's Consultative Council of 17 members who are currently developing their work program.
I turn briefly to the area of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT. I am very proud of the ACT's response to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Members will recall that the thrust of that response was basically the empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples themselves. The response was released in March 1992. It made a range of commitments in relation to the criminal justice system, to health, to education and, of course, to housing. We have also developed, in consultation with the local Aboriginal community, a proposal in relation to the national Aboriginal health strategy.
Throughout our work with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, the emphasis has been on community consultation, including developing links with the Bogong Regional Council and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, and other groups of course. I know that some members of the Assembly were present at a reception that I recently hosted for our Aboriginal community in the ACT. In the area of education, in September 1991 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre was established at the ACT Institute of TAFE. Again, this is groundbreaking action for the ACT, and something that I am very proud of.
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