Page 487 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 February 2020
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MS BERRY: I do not have the detail on that, so I cannot provide an answer on the cost of it, but in new suburbs there is investment made in building strong communities. Little libraries have become very popular across the ACT. Almost every suburb now, I think, has a little library. The mingle program is about making sure that communities like Moncrieff have that infrastructure in place to support building strong communities. On the cost of that particular little library, I will have to take advice on notice and come back to the Assembly.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, when you come back to the Assembly with more advice can you inform us what was the money spent on and how many people attended the event?
MS BERRY: Yes, I can do that.
MR COE: Minister, were you invited to this launch party? Were any other MLAs invited to this launch party? What was actually delivered at this $7,000 event?
MS BERRY: I am generally informed about these events that are put on by mingle to support the building of strong communities in new areas of development across the ACT. I did not attend that event. Again I will have to check the detail and come back to the Assembly if there is any more information that I can provide.
Work safety—mental health
MR PETTERSSON: My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety. Can the minister please update the Assembly on the launch of the new mentally healthier workplaces campaign
MS ORR: I would like to thank Mr Pettersson for the question and acknowledge his ongoing efforts to improve workplace safety. On Friday, 14 February I was pleased to launch the ACT government’s new mentally healthier workplace campaign. This campaign seeks to improve the mental health and wellbeing of working Canberrans by providing businesses and employers with the resources and support they need to create mentally healthier workplaces.
We know that working people spend the majority of their day at work, whether it is in an office, on a construction site, in a café or restaurant, retail store or small business. This means that all our workplaces can play a big role in the mental health of staff and, as an extension, the whole community. In launching this new campaign, the government is calling for businesses, unions and employees to work together to pledge to improve the mental health of everyone in the workplace.
At the launch, we heard from Sabrina Clarke, a hospitality worker here in Canberra. Sabrina shared her experience as an employee in the hospitality industry and the impact it has had on her mental wellbeing. She recounted events that have occurred where customers have harassed and abused her and her colleagues, as well as situations where her employers have not provided the right kind of support.
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