Implementing equal employment opportunity legislation in Queensland : a case study analysis

Abstract

In 1992 in Queensland the Equal Opportunity in Public Employment Actnwas passed. It required State government departments to develop andnimplement Equal Employment Opportunity management plans to ensurenthat appropriate action was taken to promote equal employmentnopportunity for, and to eliminate unlawful discrimination against,nmembers of target groups in employment matters (Equal Opportunitynin Public Employment Act 1992:7).Employment matters as defined in the legislation included recruitmentnprocedures, selection criteria, promotion, transfer, training, staffndevelopment, terms and conditions of service and separation and anynother matter relating to the employment (Equal Opportunity in PublicnEmployment Act 1992:4). Target groups included the indigenous peoplenof Australia and the Torres Strait Islands, migrants whose first languagenis not English, people with a physical, sensory, intellectual or psychiatricndisability and women (Equal Opportunity in Public Employment Actn1992:5).The legislation followed a series of government attempts in Australia tonaddress discrimination, beginning in 1966 with South Australiannlegislation concerned with race discrimination (ANZ Law and Practicen1988:3032-3033). At federal level, the Australian Sex Discrimination Actnof 1984 and the Affirmative Action (EEO for Women) Act of 1986 soughtnto remedy structural discrimination through public accountability (ANZnLaw and Practice 1993:3041). The current Queensland legislationnsimilarly seeks to eliminate discriminatory structures. In the four yearsnsince its enactment, it has been implemented in all State departments.This dissertation focuses specifically on the way the legislation has beennimplemented with respect to women's employment. It draws on policynimplementation and equal employment opportunity (EEO) literature andnseeks to identify impediments to the implementation of public policy innthe area of equal employment opportunity. n