Page 271 - Week 01 - Thursday, 13 February 2020

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the regulations does not apply to the registered nurses in the ACT homebirth trial, as ACT public service employees are covered by the ACT Insurance Authority.

There is no explanatory statement as part of this amendment, as the original explanatory statement which set out the exemption still applies. To honour the commitment of the previous minister for health and wellbeing to provide information about ACT human rights implications in any legislative amendments to the national law, I would like to place on record for the Legislative Assembly that this exemption is consistent with the rights stipulated under the ACT’s Human Rights Act 2004 and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Specifically it supports the right of pregnant women to exercise a free and informed choice about the medical treatments to be received by them, including the methods of childbirth. Section 10(2) of the Human Rights Act 2004 states the right not to be subject to medical treatment without free consent. This amendment allows women to continue to exercise that consent and choice of medical treatment.

I am pleased to have this amendment tabled in the Assembly today.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Our Booris, Our Way—final report

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.17): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:

That the Assembly take note of the following paper:

Our Booris, Our Way—Final report.

MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Health and Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.17): I am very pleased to speak on the tabling of the final report of the Our Booris, Our Way review. This report is an important milestone not only for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in Canberra but for the whole Aboriginal community, and represents the culmination of an enormous amount of work.

I commissioned the Our Booris, Our Way review in June 2017 to focus on systemic improvements needed to address the unacceptable overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system in the ACT.

The ACT government knows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the experts in their own lives, and the review was established with governance and methodology to be co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experts and key Aboriginal community controlled organisations. It was overseen by a wholly Aboriginal steering committee made up of experts from across the sector and community, including legal, service delivery, human rights, integrated care and lived experience in child protection. I take this opportunity to thank all the members of the


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