Page 3589 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 12 October 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
The Government, together with the National Council for the International Year of the Family, will be looking to strengthen the partnerships between families, governments, education and community services, businesses, unions, religious organisations and community groups.
Ultimately out of our work we hope will come the basis for family policy for the future - an Australian Agenda for Families.
In support of the Federal Government's direction, in July 1993 the Minister for Family Services, Senator Rosemary Crowley, established the National Council for the International Year of the Family as an independent advisory body with broad terms of reference. The council's theme for the year is "Supporting the Many Faces of Families". It embraces two fundamental principles, namely, inclusively recognising the diversity of family life according to family composition, stage in the life cycle, ethnicity, race, culture and religion; and promoting social justice and social responsibility, as reflected in the words, "The responsibility for families rests on the shoulders of us all".
In support of its theme, the national council has identified nine priority issues for discussion, consultation and action in 1994. These issues, which were published in full in the February issue of the newsletter of the International Year of the Family, Focus on Australian Families, are, in summary: To recognise the diversity of families in Australia and to celebrate their central contribution to Australia's social and economic welfare and cultural heritage; to acknowledge the value of caring and nurturing provided by families; to strengthen the partnership between families, governments, education and community services, business, unions, religious organisations and community groups; to address the circumstances and needs of disadvantaged families; to promote policies which recognise and support the choices which families are making in combining paid work and family care; to promote gender equality issues; to recognise the rights of families and all family members; to address the needs of families facing personal crises; and to address the significant problems of family violence and abuse.
Madam Speaker, I was fortunate enough recently to attend the annual general meeting of the Belconnen Community Service, where the guest speaker was Ms Rosemary Delahunte, who addressed the International Year of the Family. For the information of members, Ms Delahunte indicated that a discussion paper incorporating these nine key priorities was circulated in March of this year and that, from it, broad community consultations were held in 65 locations over a three-month period. The final report of the National Council for the International Year of the Family will be presented to the Federal Government at the end of this month.
The ACT Government's initiatives for the International Year of the Family identify five key themes around which efforts are to be focused during the year. These themes are: Improving services to families; helping families to care; making families safer; supporting workers with family responsibilities; and supporting families experiencing economic disadvantage. These themes draw the national council's nine key issues together and provide a framework for the International Year of the Family in the ACT. We are now well placed to take positive action to improve the quality of life for families in the ACT.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .