Page 2372 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 28 June 2005
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Mrs Burke interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mrs Burke.
Mrs Burke: Sorry, Mr Speaker, it’s a bit painful though.
MR SPEAKER: Well, Mrs Burke, you—
Mrs Burke: I am congratulating the government.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mrs Burke. These are debating points and, if you want to enter the debate, the standing orders provide for it.
Mrs Burke: They do, indeed.
MS MacDONALD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mrs Burke protests that this is painful to listen to—well, I have to say there are many people in this place and out in the community who do not agree with the points that she continually makes about the Office for Women needing to represent men and include men. It says quite clearly in here, and the minister has made the comment—
Mrs Burke: It’s called balance, Ms MacDonald.
MS MacDONALD: Mr Speaker, I listened to Mrs Burke in silence, and I would ask that she give me the same respect. Whether or not she likes what I am saying, I did listen to her quietly so I would ask for her to do the same for me. The fact is that the minister said, “I am the minister for women and that does not mean I am the minister for the exclusion of men.” I would not want to speak on behalf of the minister, because I know that she’s quite capable of doing that herself, but the fact is we are talking about the funding for the Office for Women. We are not talking about your view on policy with regard to women. We are talking about the funding of the Office for Women. This may be a debate for another time. In fact, I believe we have had this discussion at another time when we talked about the elimination of violence against women. Mrs Burke, it is just nonsense to continually bring up this view of yours that we should be talking about the Office for Women in relation to how it relates to men.
This is a new office and the Assembly, at the estimates committee last year and this year, has certainly been taking its time getting used to the best way of dealing with it. The government has taken on board what we have said about the best way to itemise the programs within the individual departments that relate to women, and it has responded positively to that. What Mrs Burke has said about needing to take account of the effect on men is nonsense. This is the Office for Women, as the minister quite clearly stated in the estimates process. There is a reason we have an Office for Women and that is that, overall, women are not as well off as men in many different areas—job prospects, finances and welfare. There are so many different areas. That is why we have an Office for Women, to coordinate those areas. This is not about the exclusion of men; it is, however, about highlighting the needs of women.
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