Page 2919 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 16 October 2007
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At this stage, we have decided to take a more cautious approach because of the constitutional and service delivery arrangements in our jurisdiction. There are features of territory government which are unique and which limit our capacity to have full and total control over such matters.
Among these issues were service delivery agreements in education, health and housing. These will continue to be in place so it would be most unwise to do what the committee recommends.
The committee has recommended that the ACT government “provide funding for the development of resources, information and training for young people on industrial relations, workplace rights, occupational health and safety, and for appropriate delivery of this resource to young people in the ACT”. This is another area where the committee is behind the times. Work education is already one of the key perspective areas to be delivered across the curriculum and has been since at least 1997. These perspectives will be integrated into the curriculum as part of the new curriculum framework from next year. Yet again the committee has recommended something that is already happening.
The majority of the committee recommends “that the ACT government establish an independent Workplace Advocate, similar to that of the Northern Territory, to inform, educate and consult with employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities in all industrial relations matters”. The Northern Territory Workplace Advocate was established in early May 2006. As of 31 January 2007 it had received 225 inquiries, which is an average of fewer than one a day.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.30 to 2.30 p.m.
Questions without notice
Canberra Hospital
MR STEFANIAK: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, on 9 October this year on ABC radio you said this regarding the death of a man in the emergency department, “There are clinical issues and staffing and systemic issues that we need to address, investigate closely. We need to ensure that when mistakes are made we own up to them in full and we seek to redress.” On the same day you again said on ABC radio, “To get bogged down in a debate about oh well, this is about bed numbers or money really belies perhaps some of the systemic issues.”
Chief Minister, what are the “systemic” issues you refer to and what actions have you taken to date to address those issues?
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