Page 4238 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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with parents from the opposite sex. There is more work to do in our community to deliver on flexibility for all workers and their families, no matter what their caring responsibilities are.
For 17 years I worked with low paid workers: cleaners, security guards, childcare workers, aged-care workers and hospitality workers. In those industries, flexibility is too scarce. Casual workers are often unable to leave their employment for financial reasons or for fear of impacts on future rostering. Full-time workers often face enormous pressure not to take their entitlements. We should continue to do that work across all of our community.
As we move towards a larger Assembly, we should also ensure that the unique circumstances of this place never prevent Canberrans from seeking to represent their community. I thank Mrs Jones for bringing this motion to the chamber, and I look forward to reading the report on its return from the admin and procedure committee.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (12.12): I welcome the opportunity to consider the issues that have been raised by Mrs Jones in the motion she has brought forward today. I think we all aspire in this place to have an inclusive environment where everyone in the community feels they can come to this workplace and feel safe and feel free from any sort of discriminatory or harassing behaviour. As we move to 25 members in this place there will be more people coming to the Assembly and the potential for a range of different needs arising from that. In that context, I particularly appreciate the amendment from Ms Berry that invites the admin and procedures committee to consider perhaps a broader range of matters in addition to those raised by Mrs Jones.
As we move to a bigger Assembly it is important that we consider those things. We need to be clear about what the barriers are to members who might come to this place. Then we can focus on what the solutions are. I think the amendment put forward by Ms Berry does a good job of considering that.
As one final matter, Madam Speaker, you may have heard Mrs Jones’s observations about her concerns about the provisions of the breastfeeding room in the Assembly and the lack of a lock. I ask that you might take note of that. I am sure that representation to our excellent maintenance crew in this building might see that matter resolved very quickly for the comfort of those who wish to use that room.
MRS JONES (Molonglo) (12.13): I welcome the government’s support of the motion. The amendment to the motion takes out the reporting timeline, which I think is a shame. It also does not require specifically for breastfeeding women that the concept of proxy voting be a part of the outcomes in relation to breastfeeding women. I hope the procedures committee will have enough understanding from the debate we have had today of what it is we are seeking. I really hope that as a part of the report we will see a direct and specific recommendation around what would need to be done in order to make that specific outcome possible.
As this parliament evolves, I think one of the great things that we have in this place is we do not have a fear of something a bit different. We do not have a fear of trying something new. As I have said many times when talking about this matter publicly, it
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