Page 1541 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 April 1991
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College in Barton. It was attended by 22 members and other staff members from around Australia. I understand that the forum was opened by the Honourable Ros Kelly, as keynote speaker, who related her own experiences in a male dominated profession to those of women in a policing environment.
The outcome and report of the Women's Forum is interesting. It deals with the role and the position that the Australian Federal Police should take from an administrative point of view in according management responsibility, in according the usual equal opportunity roles that policewomen, of course, are entitled to. The forum recommended that suitable courses be developed and scheduled to give women members and staff members opportunities for career development which are not catered for within current training curricula.
The forum otherwise recommended that information and opportunities and processes for career development be advanced. Also, there are other recommendations dealing with methods of training, regionalised training, and enhanced contacts between women who perform such a difficult role in our community policing function. Mr Speaker, perhaps somewhat amusingly, one of the strategies that may be developed is to provide a female counterpart to Kenny Koala. Whilst I have not been informed, as Minister, how it is intended to do this, the mind boggles. Wendy Wombat? No doubt, we could have some useful suggestions from the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Speaker, the forum also discussed the issue of flexible working hours for all personnel in view of the particular demands of the situation in which women in the police force find themselves. The forum was attended by interstate policing elements. I am very pleased to see the Australian Federal Police move importantly on this issue. One topic discussed, of course, was the fact that there is still some confusion as to the effect that recent amendments to the Australian Federal Police Act - a Federal Act, of course, I stress - have had on maternity leave entitlements. I am taking that matter up. I will be paying it close attention, with the support, I trust, of my colleague Carmel Maher in these matters.
Leases Legislation
MR MOORE: My question is directed to the Chief Minister. In fact, I gave him notice of this question yesterday. Chief Minister, I understand that Professor Max Neutze has written to you expressing his concerns about the ability of the ACT Government to control leases in the ACT. In his letter he refers specifically to section 11A of the City Area Leases Act and the relationship between the Supreme Court and the ACT Government. His concerns are most aptly put in the following paragraph:
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