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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (8 March) . . Page.. 705 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

continue to be focused on the fact that women continue to be discriminated against in almost every area of life.

The State of the Territory Report the Chief Minister released reflects the fact that women do not receive equal pay; that women are more likely to work part time or in casual employment; that in other jurisdictions it is invariably women who do piecework.

I come back to a point that the Chief Minister dwelt on in question time today - the fact that the unions seem to have less impact and are less well patronised these days. I think it can be said that the unions have traditionally protected the lower paid and the most easily exploited. It is through some of those protective mechanisms that the position of women within the work force has traditionally been protected. It is a matter of grave concern that the oversight and the protection unions have given women in particular have been lessened by the fact that unions are no longer as well patronised and that they continue to be bagged and bashed by governments. (Extension of time granted)

There are continuing and grave issues. Some of those we do not reflect on as much as we should. I do see occasional forays in the press in relation to the extent to which most women work double shifts. Women work an enormously greater number of hours in the home than do men, despite the fact that they may be in full-time paid employment. That is an area of enormous unthinking discrimination by husbands against wives. Wives work much longer and much harder in the home than do their husbands or partners.

In this Olympic year there is something that we in Australia can reflect on in the euphoria of the Olympics. I have not seen the numbers and I have not done a count, but I would be prepared to guarantee that not only the Australian Olympic team but every other Olympic team in the world will have within its number a far greater proportion of men than women. I am prepared to guarantee that the Australian Olympic team will comprise more men than women. I am prepared to bet that there will be more men coaches at the Olympics than there will be women coaches. I am prepared to bet that there will be more men officials at the Olympics than there will be women officials.

If we follow that through in relation to the level and extent of discrimination against women in sport, it is really quite significant. I understand that, according to an assessment of the extent to which the mainstream media in Australia provides legitimate coverage of women's sport, the Canberra Times leads the pack, with about 10 per cent of its sports coverage going to what might be called women's sport. They are the national leaders in the coverage of women's sport. The national average for the mainstream press in the coverage of women's sport is 5 or 6 per cent. Despite the fact that, as the Chief Minister revealed in her speech, 55 per cent of women in the ACT participate in sport, the Canberra Times provides only 10 per cent of its sports page space to women's sport. It is ironic when possibly the most successful national team in the ACT is the Smoke Free Capitals.

Ms Carnell: Without doubt.

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