PRIME MINISTER
EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
OPENING OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AGENCY
NORTH SYDNEY 3 APRIL 1987
Earlier this week, I tabled in Parliament a report which is
I think unique among all the documents that have come before
the House of Representatives.
The report was titled " Setting the Agenda" and its contents
revealed with great clarity the true concerns and interests
of Australian women as the nation prepares itself for the
1990' s and beyond.
" Setting the Agenda" is based on the expressed opinions of
more than 25,000 Australian women who participated in an
unprecedented process of consultation as part of the
preparation of a National Agenda for Women.
The concerns they expressed in questionnaires, submissions
and meetings throughout the nation covered an enormous range
of issues. These included opportunities in education, the
availability of child care, concerns about health and the
proper valuing of the work done by women in the home.
As I told the Parliament, we will be looking closely at
these expressions of views as we prepare the National Agenda
which will be the foundation for Government policy making as
it affects women up to the year 2000.
one of the central priorities the women raised is of course,
employment. Many women are concerned that their employment
opportunities are limited, that the rewards they receive
from employment are less than those received by male
employees, that work structures do not sufficiently
recognise family responsibilities, and that women are
concentrated in too narrow a range of occupations and
industries.
Today we are celebrating the launching of an office which is
designed to help alleviate those problems and remove some of
the obstacles and prejudices which lie in the path of women
seeking to enhance their participation in the work force.
This Affirmative Action Agency has been established to
implement the Affirmative Action ( Equal Employment
Opportunity for Women) Act.
My Government regards this Act, along with the Sex
Discrimination Act, as among its most important legislative
achievements. It attempts, on the basis of careful
consultation and gradual implementation, to overcome some of
the very deep seated obstacles lying in the way of women who
seek to enhance their employment prospects.
There are two closely related motivations behind this quest
for affirmative action. First, affirmative action makes
good economic sense.
Australia is a small economy which has for many decades
ignored the necessity to diversify our manufacturing base
and to compete on international markets. No country
particularly a country in Australia's current position can
afford to be complacent about the skills and working
patterns of its workforce. No country can afford to
disregard or neglect half its human resources half the
total number of people whose creativity and-dedication and
vigour are needed to improve our economic performance.
if affirmative action can, by its emphasis on promotion and
employment through merit, improve our national productivity
and competitiveness, thRen it deserves our full support.
That is as imoortant to our economy as our other measures to
improve produCtivity, such as encouraging students to
complete their schooling and eliminating, in co-operation
with unions and business, outdated work practices.
The second underlying motivation for our commitment to
affirmative action goes to the heart of what the Labor
Government has sought to achieve for Australian society
after decadeo of conservative neglect.
That is, simply, fairness among the members of our community
and, therefore, equality of opportunity.
Given the serious economic problems we are going through,
particularly the collapse in commodity markets which has
meant a fall in our national income of more than $ 6 billion,
my Government has been faced with the twin tasks not just of
coping with those declining living standards but of doing so
in a fair and compassionate manner.
The achievements we have made in legislating on sex
discrimination and affirmative action demonstrate our
commitment to that goal of fairness and our success in
reaching it.
Let me briefly review some of the concrete aspects of the
operation of the new Act and the new Agency.
Perhaps the over-riding message which has come through from
the pilot program which preceded the Affirmative Action Act,
and from the early work of this Agency, is that equal
employment opportunity and affirmative action are synonymous
with good human resources management.
It makes eminently good business sense to use all available
human resources. management schools throughout Australia
underline the strategic importance of good management of
Australia's human resources.
The legislation and the work of this Agency, will we
believe, substantially improve personnel practice in
Australia, whether the personnel function rests in
specialist areas or with line management.
The Act requires private sector organisations over the next
three years to commence development of affirmative action
programs to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of
opportunity for women employees. Unlike other
anti-discrimination legislation, it does not depend on
complaints brought after discrimination has occurred.
Thus this Agancy is charged under the legislation with a
number of responsibilities, of which the most important is
advising and assisting employers and higher education
institutions to develop and implement their Affirmative
Action programs.
The staff being appointed to the Agency are not only closely
attuned to the needs of women, but also have experience in
the private and higher education sectors. They are thus
well poised to understand many of the difficult issues
facing employers when undertaking structural, attitudinal
and behavioural change.
in particuaar, the agency's director, Valerie Pratt, brings
a wealth of experience to her position, not least from her
work as a consultant for the Affirmative Action pilot
program and as a former manager of personnel and
administration in CSR's Oil and Gas Division.
The success of the new Agency, and its related legislation,
should see real changes taking place in all aspects of
women' s employment.
A successful Agency should mean greater weight will be given
to the views of women employees; progress will be achieved
in dismantling the barriers to women in all categories of
work; there will be a fairer share of the funds spent on
training programs and more equitable practices in
recruitment, selection and promotion; and acceptance that
greater flexibility in work structures is required to
accommodate the child bearing role of women and the parental
responsibilities of both women and men.
While we require companies and institutions to work towards
elimination of discrimination against women in employment,
the Government will also provide ways to assist women to
move towards economic independence and make the most of the
opportunities that will now be opened up by the Affirmative
Action initiative.
The Government is taking action on a number of supportive
measures recommended by the Working Party on Affirmative
Action LegisLation. A conference was held in October last
year to reach agreement on reforming provisions in
legislation and awards which restrict women's employment,
while not jeopardising the safety or health of any worker.
In July last year the Minister assisting me on the Status of
Women, Senator Susan Ryan, presented to the Australian
Education Council an interim National Policy and Plan of
Action for the Education of Girls and Women. This was
subsequently endorsed by all States and Territories, except
of course Queensland.
A further measure recommended by the Working Party on
Affirmative Action legislation is the development of a Girls
into Enginocring Project. Three tertiary institutions
Queensland Institute of Technology, New South Wales
Institute of Technology and Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology are implementing programs whic * h involve
recruitment and publicity campaigns, and the establishment
of special support arrangements for women entering
engineering. Our commitmuent to the provision of child care also
acknowledges a very real need experienced by women in many
working situations. When we came to office, there were just
46,000 child care places by around June of next year we
will be funding 106,000 of them. we have provided more
child care places than any other Government since
federation. My Government has also taken steps to
facilitate the provision by employers of work related child
care. Ladies and gentlemen,
The question of the status of women has traditionally
attracted broad bipartisbin support.
Last week in Parliament however, the Opposition parties
voted against the Equal Employment Opportunity Bill and
revealed thereby that their commitment to this key policy
area is faltering.
That vote stands as a stark reminder of the tenacity of
reactionary attitudes in issues of the status of women.
This is all the more reason for me to pay tribute to the
invaluable work of Senator Ryan. Without her energy,
commitment and support, backed by the Office of the Status
of Women in my Department, the affirmative action
initiatives I have outlined today could not have progressed
so rapidly. The launch of the Agency is a fitting tribute
to her endeavours. I am pleased now officially to launch
the Agency.