Page 2622 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 24 August 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Madam Speaker, I submit to you, and I submit to the members of this Assembly, that the Chief Minister was absolutely justified in saying that this is an important enough subject for a ministerial statement, but it does not stop there. The Government cannot stop by making a ministerial statement. They have to follow it up and do something. I would really like to see this Government actually do something. I have no evidence so far that they intend to - absolutely none - despite the rhetoric. I think it is about time that this Chief Minister started to put her money where her mouth is in terms of this increasing problem with the ageing.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (9.06), in reply: Madam Speaker, I realise that I am closing the debate. I would like to thank Mr Kaine for his somewhat intemperate comments and say at the outset, Madam Speaker, that I do not consider that I have claimed responsibility or credit for any activities or functions which were not instigated by the Government. If members carefully read the statement that I made in Seniors Week earlier this year they will see that that is the case.
Mr Kaine: Which initiative was yours? Not one.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Ms Follett has the floor.
MS FOLLETT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I will address Mr Kaine's remarks in the order in which I think he made them, Madam Speaker. The first item that Mr Kaine drew attention to was the report of the Assembly Standing Committee on Social Policy on aged accommodation and support services in the ACT. Mr Kaine quite rightly said that the Government has not yet responded to that report, but I can assure members that we will be responding in the near future. It is the case that that report contains a large number of recommendations, and I am sure that members of the committee would agree with that. It is the case also that it is a complex report. It is not something that can be dealt with overnight. The implications of the recommendations are very far reaching. The report is receiving very serious consideration, which at least Mr Kaine did allow for, and we will be reporting on it as soon as we possibly can. It is not something that can be taken lightly.
Mr Kaine also commented on the age discrimination legislation. I can confirm that that discussion paper on issues and options for age discrimination law in the ACT, which was tabled in the Assembly and released for public discussion in April of this year, did attract a fair range of public comment. The Attorney-General's Department, I am advised, has also received a number of written submissions on the matter and there was a public hearing in June. Madam Speaker, following that level of consultation the Industrial Relations Advisory Council has also discussed the issues raised in the discussion paper, and I am pleased to say that the Industrial Relations Advisory Council now considers that the approaches suggested in the paper are reasonable. So I think that is a step forward.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .