Page 4467 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 1993
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MR CORNWELL: Madam Speaker, this is not really a supplementary question: What about the promotion policy for the future to avoid - - -
Mr Connolly: They always ask two questions. You people do not get a chance because they always ask two.
MR CORNWELL: No, it was part of my original question, Mr Connolly. Mr Wood was listening, even if you were not.
MADAM SPEAKER: I will take it as a point of order.
MR WOOD: The promotions policy is simply that we promote people on merit.
Mr Cornwell: How are you going to avoid this difficulty that we are facing now with young and older teachers?
MR WOOD: The difficulty, in a sense, will always be there so long as our enrolments remain fairly static. There is not much real growth in teacher numbers. Because of the difficulty of getting re-employment as teachers, they do not leave the system and travel or do all sorts of things, as they did many years ago. The attrition rate is pretty low. Those factors will tend to remain constant. I would encourage some reasonable turnover in teaching and in principals, but the policy is for appointment on merit. Obviously, younger teachers will be coming through as a result of the separation packages.
Unemployment Statistics
MS ELLIS: My question is directed to the Chief Minister. I ask: Will the Chief Minister provide the Assembly with an analysis of the unemployment figures announced this morning, particularly as they apply to the ACT?
MS FOLLETT: I am pleased to say that the unemployment figures released today by the Bureau of Statistics show an improvement in the ACT's position. In general unemployment there has been an improvement from 6.8 per cent unemployment in October to 6.4 per cent in November, and in teenage unemployment there has been an improvement from 28.4 per cent in October to 18.3 per cent in November. In regard to the teenage figures, I think it has to be said, as I always say, that these figures are very volatile and the sample size is very small. Nevertheless, that is a marked improvement of some 10 per cent, and I believe that at least some of that improvement must be attributed to our policy as a government of targeting teenagers in our labour market programs such as Joblink.
In general terms, the growth in employment is very welcome. In fact, there has been a growth of some 3,600 jobs over the year to November and a growth of some 300 jobs in the month that has just been measured. I believe that there is room for still cautious optimism, but optimism nevertheless. What we are seeing is slow but sustained growth in employment. I am also very pleased to see that the trend estimates for unemployment have now steadied as well. All in all, Madam Speaker, they are welcome statistics and can give us some cause for optimism on what is and remains the Government's highest priority.
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