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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 10 Hansard (23 September) . . Page.. 3546 ..
MS GALLAGHER: I might take some of that on notice because you have asked a specific question. In relation to indigenous child protection workers, there have been some problems with recruitment to those positions, so there is a chance that non-indigenous child protection workers had to respond to urgent cases, as required.
We have statutory obligations and, if we did not have an indigenous child protection worker on duty at the time, naturally a non-indigenous child protection worker would have to attend to that child. We are doing a lot of work in relation to trying to attract indigenous workers to these positions. There are a number of complex situations, which means that for many indigenous people there is not the desire to work with the welfare agencies. We are working through those with the indigenous community at the moment and looking at ways to make those positions attractive and to retain staff in those positions. As to a breakdown of how many visits have been responded to by non-indigenous workers, I will take that question on notice.
MS DUNDAS: Minister, I note that you are doing work in this area. Perhaps also on notice you could provide us with information on the average duration of employment for indigenous child protection workers in the department compared with non-indigenous child protection workers so that we can see where current retention rates are at.
MS GALLAGHER: Yes, I am happy to take that on notice.
Mr Stanhope: I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Paper
Mr Speaker presented the following paper:
Legislative Assembly Secretariat-Report and financial statements, including the Auditor-General's report, for 2002-2003.
Executive contracts
Papers and statement by minister
MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs): For the information of members, I present the following papers:
Public Sector Management Act, pursuant to sections 31A and 79-Copies of executive contracts or instruments-
Long term contracts:
John Paget, dated 22 August 2003.
Helen Strauch, dated 4 September 2003.
Short term contracts:
Michael Beattie, dated 22 August 2003.
David Snell, dated 5 September 2003.
Peter Kowald, dated 27 August 2003.
Leslie Gay Williamson, dated 12 August 2003.
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