Page 666 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 February 2010

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national agenda? She is the spokesperson for women. There was a House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment and Workplace Relations inquiry in 2009 which produced a report entitled Making it fair: pay equity and associated issues related to increasing female participation in the workforce. This inquiry reported only three months ago. There has been a federal government review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 conducted by KPMG, which reported late last year. There was the formation of the Equal Pay Alliance in August last year. It includes a diverse range of 135 organisations. They include community, business and welfare peak bodies who are pledging to promote equal pay and employment opportunity for all Australians.

The motion follows a clear line of reasoning and addresses several major issues faced by women today, but Mrs Dunne seems to be stuck with an ideology from the dark ages. I now understand why she does not comprehend my motion.

Going to Ms Burch’s amendments, let me say that the Greens will be supporting Minister Burch’s amendments, as I believe that the minister has negotiated with the Greens in good faith and with every intention of working towards closing the gap of pay inequity between males and females within the ACT. The Greens look forward to the minister reporting on what measures are required to conduct a pay equity audit, and we are pleased to have the government’s commitment to this motion.

Thank you for the contributions. It has been quite a revelation about who sees that there are many women in our community that are still struggling and who just does not see that issue at all or does not give it any sort of prominence.

I will be out there in the next week or so attending a number of International Women’s Day events. I am looking forward to several events, some of them based around this issue of gender pay equity. Others will be looking at other issues where women are still struggling for their rights, for equality, for opportunities. I do not expect to see Mrs Dunne at any of those International Women’s Day events—I would find it strange if she was at those events—but I am sure there are many other women who will be attending them. I encourage women right across the territory to attend one of the many diverse events that are being held. I look forward to celebrating, with my sisters here in the ACT, and hope that women across Australia and across the world also have that opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

Home insulation program

MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (7.39): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes:


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