Page 258 - Week 01 - Thursday, 24 February 1994
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I think that what tends to happen is that young people work there while they are students and when they get a little bit older they move off to tertiary education or whatever. You do, indeed, from time to time, see more aged employees there.
In relation to the application of this Bill to political parties, one could wonder whether there should be an examination by the Discrimination Commissioner as to whether this was a factor in the internal decisions of the Liberal Party in relation to Opposition Leaders' positions. We may be creating a cause of action within the Liberal Party. Perhaps we should have looked at not making ACT public employment retrospective, but making its application to political parties retrospective in order to have that issue canvassed. Thank you for your support. The Government will support Mr Humphries's amendment.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Detail Stage
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole
MR HUMPHRIES (12.15): Madam Speaker, I move:
Clause 7, page 5, lines 11 to 17, proposed new subsection 57D(2), omit the subsection, substitute the following subsection:
"(2) Subsection (1) ceases to have effect 2 years after the date of commencement of the Discrimination (Amendment) Act 1994.".
This amendment simply makes it clear in proposed new subsection 57D(2) that all employers in the Territory, except presumably the Commonwealth Government, are subject to the requirement that, at the end of two years from the date of commencement of this Bill, they will not be able to discriminate against an employee on the basis of age in setting a compulsory retirement period for that person. The Minister has covered this, I think, in large part.
Clearly, it is not in the interests of this Assembly to be seen to be creating exemptions for itself from what will be, in some respects, known as a provision for the private sector. If we are going to require that for the private sector, we should be setting an example by doing that ourselves. I would hope, in fact, that, to the extent that it does not actually cause hardship to employees - I cannot see how it would - we would be facilitating this to happen as early as possible so that the benefits of these provisions are flowing through to our employees sooner rather than later, and ensuring that we are showing the private sector that it can be done and that these provisions are positive and helpful ones in creating a happier, more productive work force. Madam Speaker, I commend that amendment to the Assembly.
Amendment agreed to.
Bill, as a whole, as amended, agreed to.
Bill, as amended, agreed to.
Sitting suspended from 12.16 to 2.30 pm
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