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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 6 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1663 ..
MS DUNDAS (continuing):
going to continue. This Assembly is coming up with some great initiatives. The government should take them on as the Assembly has directed. I hope that my ill-feeling is unfounded and that the government will stick by its commitments to the environment on any number of issues they have talked about but have failed to follow through on.
In closing, I thank the Assembly for their support for this motion, and I hope that we can all move together on environmental concerns both locally and globally. .
Question resolved in the affirmative.
(Quorum formed.)
Order of business
Ordered that private members business notice No 18 be called on forthwith.
International Day of Families
At 5.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the question that the Assembly do now adjourn was put and negatived.
MRS CROSS (5.01): I move:
That the Assembly:
(1) recognises Wednesday 15 May 2002 as being the International Day of Families;
(2) notes the integral role that families have in the ACT; and
(3) calls on the Government to show a strong commitment to families in its 2002-03 Budget.
Mr Speaker, the International Day of Families is an annual 15 May event initiated by the United Nations. This year we celebrate it for the eighth time. The day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance the international community attaches to families and to regard their situation around the world. It is a chance to promote awareness of issues relating to families as well as to promote appropriate action. It is a time for increased understanding of the functions and problems, strengths and needs of families and the economic, cultural, social and demographic processes affecting families.
I thought it may have been useful to suggest a definition of family at this point, but after considering a few I decided to leave that up to individual members. The traditional definition of family-dad, mum and 1.3 children-has been significantly altered by the formal recognition and general community acceptance of other types of unions.
Former Prime Minister Paul Keating was noted for colourful quotes and often cutting yet insightful observations on life around him. One of my favourites went something along the lines of how, in his opinion, two blokes and their cocker spaniel did not constitute a family. How times have changed.
Mrs Dunne: It was actually two poofters.
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