Page 1916 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2016
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chamber. That is the appropriate place to do it. I would hate to have a woman come into this place with a new child and have the very unfortunate circumstance that somebody would make a decision that would be contrary to something that we all support in this place absolutely, 100 per cent.
The call is for every member to go ahead with our wishes—every single member in this place’s wishes—but we need to make sure that that is absolutely concrete and that nobody will be treated differently in the future. The appropriate place to do that is admin and procedure, to make sure that it is absolutely clear. We are all clear but perhaps future members will not be clear.
For every single one of us who has had breastfeeding responsibilities for our children, we know that it is difficult. We all understand that. I hope that Mrs Jones understands that every single one of us supports the rights of parents to be able to care for their children in this place and we need to make sure that future parents get that chance as well.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning and Land Management, Minister for Racing and Gaming and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (12.01), in reply: I thank members for their input on this motion. I do wish to apologise to Mrs Jones. I had instructed my office to touch base with her and advise that this was the procedure that the government wished to follow. Unfortunately, that did not occur. My sincere apologies for that.
However, it is important that this is dealt with by the admin and procedure committee. I have served on that committee before and I know the important work that they do in ensuring that we have the best outcomes for the parliament as it goes forward.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Strategic Review of the ACT Auditor-General
References to committees
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (12.02): I move:
That:
(1) in relation to the recommendations of the report on the 2016 Strategic Review of the ACT Auditor-General the following matters be referred to the following committees for inquiry and report:
(a) the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure to:
(i) consider and make recommendations as to the continued relevance and adequacy of the provisions of the Legislative Assembly (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Act 2012;
(ii) consider and make recommendations relating to the capacity of the Office of the Legislative Assembly to provide administrative support to the Speaker in the performance of the Speaker’s role and functions in relation to the independent officers of the Legislative Assembly; and
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