Page 4375 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 22 September 2010
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increase in our current profile; increased numbers of reasonable adjustments or modifications provided to assist existing employees; a decrease in separation rates for employees with disabilities; increased participation in learning and development opportunities by employees with disabilities; and increased engagement with local disability employment support agencies by ACT public service agencies.
I have requested that all ACT public service agencies report annually on their progress in implementing the disability employment strategy and action plan. The Commissioner for Public Administration is developing appropriate reporting mechanisms.
The Making diversity work report states that women with disabilities are almost half as likely to be in full-time employment as their non-disabled counterparts. Women with disabilities are twice as likely to be in part-time employment as their non-disabled peers. The government is committed to the collection and analysis of gender disaggregated data in an effort to identify where the gender equity issues may be and whether the issues lie in more than one agency or in a particular classification group or cohort in the service.
The information currently published in the ACT public service workforce profile has recently been enhanced by the supplementary gender analysis which, for the first time, provides a more in-depth gender focused analysis of our workforce by employment type, age profile, length of service and remuneration. The report provides observations based on gender pay gaps identified in agencies and classification groups and will support the development of strategies to improve pay equity.
Mr Speaker, I look forward to presenting the completed ACT public service disability employment strategy to members of the Assembly later this year—an important document that is being developed over some months through close consultation with stakeholders. I now move an amendment circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes the June 2009 report entitled Making diversity Work: A study of the employment of people with disabilities in the Australian Capital Territory Public Service by People with Disabilities ACT;
(2) notes the ACT Public Service Employment Framework for People with a Disability published in 2004;
(3) notes people who self identify as having a disability continue to make up around 1.5% of the ACT Public Service, although people with a disability make up approximately 17% of the ACT population; and
(4) notes the ACT Government is developing a new ACT Public Service Employment Framework for People with a Disability.
I have to say that the government does not have any particular issue with the motion which Ms Bresnan has moved, and indeed I thank her for moving it. This is a most important issue. It is just that I do not believe, and the government does not believe, in
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