Page 1841 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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ACT government will engage with women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to increase their representation on forums and committees, to ensure that we have a broad range of voices being heard. Furthermore, the ACT government will provide financial assistance to provide women who are seeking asylum or are migrants with support to find housing while their immigration status is being determined. We know the value of multicultural women in our community. We will work hard to ensure that they are valued and included.
We have committed to reviewing our processes in relation to grants funding, to ensure the best use of this funding for our emerging and established communities. I am also pleased that this action plan will support a review looking into improving and increasing the catalogue of bilingual books available in libraries in the ACT, in consultation with our multicultural communities. This is together with improving the learning programs and resources that are already in place in our ACT libraries. I was really delighted recently at Gungahlin library to join in one of the up to 10 bilingual story times that will be taking place over the next two months.
The action plan also recognises the role of community language schools in ensuring that a broad range of languages are available for young people to learn. The role of language schools in promoting culture, history and language to young learners is appreciated in our community. To ensure that this service continues to support students, teachers and language school providers, a key action in the framework will be to undertake an independent review of language schools. This work will be done in addition to the future of education strategy action plan on languages in schools, which will support, encourage and improve the teaching and learning of language education in Canberra schools.
The actions in this plan will acknowledge the contributions already being made by our diverse community members and will strengthen our government’s commitment to celebrating Canberra’s diversity and social inclusion. All Canberrans can play a part in making Canberra a truly welcoming and inclusive city. By improving outcomes for our multicultural communities under this plan, we can ensure that our city is enhanced as an inclusive, welcoming, progressive, connected place to live.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Matter of public importance
Statement by Assistant Speaker
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Orr): Madam Speaker has received letters from Miss C Burch, Ms Cheyne, Ms Cody, Mrs Kikkert, Ms Le Couteur, Ms Lee, Mr Milligan, Ms Orr, Mr Parton, Mr Pettersson and Mr Wall proposing that matters of public importance be submitted to the Assembly. In accordance with standing order 79, Madam Speaker has determined that the matter proposed by Mr Wall be submitted to the Assembly, namely:
The important role small business plays in the ACT.
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