Page 842 - Week 03 - Thursday, 14 April 1994
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The Chief Minister also said that Treasury wanted to expedite the process for the benefit of the Assembly in providing their response to the committee's report in a timely manner, and I have no doubt that that was their intention. It is interesting for me that, for the first time in this Assembly, last year Treasury had a longer timeframe within which to respond to the committee's report before the debate on the report took place. So it was disappointing for me, the committee having granted the extra time for Treasury to do the job they were always intended to do, that this occurred.
I welcome the Chief Minister's response to the recommendations in this report. I applaud the work the Administration and Procedures Committee has done in addressing the issues that arose with regard to the draft report of the Estimates Committee. However, on a final note, I would suggest to the Chief Minister that the corrected Government response to the Estimates Committee report that was given to me towards the end of last year be tabled in this Assembly to set the record straight.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Sitting suspended from 12.17 to 2.30 pm
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Follett Government - Affirmative Action
MRS CARNELL: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is to the Chief Minister. Your party platform says, on page 7 in fact, that Labor will encourage equal representation of women in government. When you set about choosing a new Minister this week you had three women and one man to choose from. Your existing Cabinet had two men and one woman. Your affirmative action policy required you to pick a woman for the job - assuming, of course, that any of them are capable. Why therefore did you select Mr Lamont? Did you not think any of the women on that side of the house, apart from yourself of course, were capable of doing the job? Most importantly, what message do you believe that sends to women attempting to break the glass ceiling?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I thank Mrs Carnell for the question. In replying to her question I do note that she is the only woman in the Liberal ranks. In fact, when the Liberals were in government under the Alliance they had no women Ministers, although it was known that at least one woman was consistently agitating for a ministerial position. Madam Speaker, the election of Ministers is a matter for my parliamentary caucus, and Mrs Carnell seeks to misrepresent that process. The fact of the matter is that the Labor Party leads the field in terms of affirmative action. We have - - -
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