Page 360 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 1 March 1994
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Madam Speaker, Ms Szuty also mentioned the Parliamentary Awareness Group. I regard that as a valuable group because it is a fact that in this place we have treated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues in a non-party way, a non-partisan way, and I believe that we should continue that. I did try to get a meeting together in the period when people had all come back from holidays and before the Assembly resumed, but it was not possible. I have it on my agenda to call a meeting as soon as we possibly can and to get the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council to meet with the Parliamentary Awareness Group. It is an initiative which I intend to go on with and which I do think is valuable in informing ourselves of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues within our own community and doing so in a non-partisan way, which I think has previously been agreed, and I would certainly like to see it continue.
I do look forward to working further on the social justice agenda which flows out of the Mabo decision and out of the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Our next step is to introduce the Native Title Bill in the ACT, the Bill which will complement the Commonwealth's native title legislation. I intend to introduce that in the April sittings of this Assembly. As is usual, I would very much like to see members take advantage of briefing on that Bill. If we can continue to operate in a non-partisan way, I think that would be a very good step forward for us as well. I welcome Ms Szuty's contribution to this debate, Madam Speaker. It was, as usual, thoughtful and very well researched. I look forward to further such contributions in what is a very important debate, not just in this Assembly but nationally as well. Our next opportunity will be the Native Title Bill.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion (by Mr Berry) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Teaching Service
MR MOORE (9.28): Madam Speaker, I thought I would take the opportunity this evening to pay some compliments to the teaching service in the ACT. I was fortunate enough last evening to attend a school information night that was put on by the teachers. Each of the teachers, in turn, presented exactly what their class was going to do and how they would go about it. It seems to me that this very open approach of teaching staff is a very professional approach and it ought to be lauded by members of this Assembly. The teachers were prepared to take their time. I must say that we hear lots of teacher-bashing comments - we have heard them for years - but rarely do they take into account the time that teachers
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