Page 2949 - Week 08 - Thursday, 17 August 2017
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We are continuing to work with the community sector on the implementation of the community services industry strategy launched last year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the sector for its constructive engagement through the joint community government reference group. This government will continue to work in the interests of all Canberrans, including those who need our help the most and the community organisations that support them. I commend the bill to the Assembly, knowing this budget will deliver better support when it matters.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (4.44): I was not planning to speak in this space but Mrs Jones has had to take a sick child to the doctor and I have undertaken to speak on her behalf in relation to the issues related to the women’s portfolio. I think that Mrs Jones believes that Minister Berry is trying to find better solutions for women but she also thinks it is clear that we have a long way to go, with much work that still needs to be done.
Mrs Jones has been working to get issues resolved for women and mothers. It is a constant amazement to many of us that wherever we turn it seems that women and mothers are having difficulty finding a smooth and positive work-life balance. Mrs Jones has drawn our attention to this even in this own building where there was no suitable and secure space for women to breastfeed or breast pump. And she has worked over time to have this space improved, and with a positive outcome for any working mothers in the building.
Mrs Jones has also lobbied for a change table and breastfeeding and pumping space in the publicly accessible areas of the Assembly and there is now a change table installed. She has also lobbied for and achieved suitable signage for anyone visiting the building to be able to actually find the facilities. These things may seem small but these things can and do become barriers for women in the workforce and in our community.
At the last election my colleagues and I offered more flexible working arrangements for ACT government employees. This policy would have meant that management would need to deal with requests for flexible working arrangements using an “if not, why not” model, justifying why they could not accommodate requests, putting the onus back on the managers rather than the person requesting flexible working arrangements. Mrs Jones and all the Canberra Liberals stand by this policy as we think it will generally improve the work life balance of many working mothers in the ACT.
Mrs Jones has also advocated for portable toilets to be made available on fire sites where men and women firefighters are stationed for extended periods. Our firies deserve as much support as possible, and a change like this helps. It helps women firefighters as well as men. Had Mrs Jones not raised this matter it is possible that the minister would never have known about it.
Mrs Jones thinks that it is worth while that the ACT government and its Minister for Women conduct a thorough survey of all women in our own government departments to get to the bottom of some of these workplace issues as well as identifying other issues that may be affecting women in our workforce. The ACT government has the
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