Page 3329 - Week 11 - Thursday, 22 September 1994
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MR BERRY (Manager of Government Business) (3.37): Mr Humphries has taken a fair point; but the circumstances in 1990 were quite different. The Government repeatedly refused to provide the information. We usually provide it. I accept responsibility for the fact that you were not advised. If you will accept my apology, I will offer it.
MR MOORE (3.37): Madam Speaker, obviously, there has been an oversight in this case. I was certainly aware, and I understand that Ms Szuty was aware, that the Chief Minister was intending to make this statement. So, on this occasion, it has been an oversight. It is not usual. We usually know what is going on. So, in speaking in support of the motion, I would ask the Liberals to concede that there was an oversight on this particular occasion and to allow the Chief Minister to proceed.
Question resolved in the affirmative, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.
Ministerial Statement
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (3.38): Madam Speaker, I thank members. I join Mr Berry in offering apologies for the fact that not all members were advised.
Teenage unemployment has been, and continues to be, an issue of great significance to the Government, to members of the Assembly and, of course, to the community generally. As we move towards the end of the 1994 school year, I believe that it is important that the Government reflect on its efforts to date and examine areas in which new actions might be taken to tackle the matter. This is made all the more important now that the details of the implementation of the Commonwealth's Working Nation statement are becoming clearer. It is particularly desirable that the ACT maximise the extent to which it can benefit from and adapt to the measures now being put in place under the aegis of Working Nation. But, first of all, let me put teenage unemployment into its proper context. After all, workable solutions cannot be developed if the nature of the issue is not understood.
In July 1994, there were nearly 24,300 15- to 19-year-olds in the ACT. Just over 10,600 were not in the labour force. Nearly all of these were in full-time education. Another 7,500 teenagers were counted as being in the labour force because they either had jobs - part-time, mainly - or were looking for jobs; but at the same time they were in full-time education. In total, over 17,500 teenagers, or 72 per cent of all teenagers, were in full-time education. Of the remaining 6,800 teenagers not in full-time education, 4,600 were employed, 1,600 were unemployed, and 600 were neither in the labour force nor in education. It is also important to recognise that approximately half of those who are unemployed are unemployed for less than six months. By way of contrast, older people generally experience much longer periods of unemployment. In summary, out of 24,300 teenagers in the ACT in July 1994, nearly 22,100, or 91 per cent, were in either education or employment, while 1,600, or 7 per cent, were not in education and were seeking work. While it is true that some teenagers in education would prefer to be in employment, if more jobs were available, we should keep in mind that all the evidence
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