Abstract
The Diary of Social Legislation and Policy is compiled annually to record changes made in Commonwealth government social policy and legislation. It provides a ready reference for researchers and workers in government and service organisations, as it draws together information from a range of sources relating to the development of new policy and legislation, funding of government programs, and recommendations for changes in policy and legislation from reviews, commissioned research and so forth.
Significant events and government action occurred in a number of portfolio areas in 1994. Among the highlights were: the White Paper on employment and growth, Working Nation; the introduction of the Home Child Care Allowance, to be paid to low-income parents caring for children at home; the introduction of the Child Care Cash Rebate, to assist working parents or those looking for work in need of child care; the release of a National Youth Housing Strategy, providing new options and choices for young people; increased funding for citizenship and settlement activities, to encourage people to take up Australian citizenship; the work of the Australian Law Reform Commission, in examining and making recommendations on access to justice for women; the release of the first National Mental Health Report, monitoring the progress of the National Mental Health Policy; the House of Representatives Inquiry into Aspects of Youth Homelessness; the announcement of a major strategy to combat teenage smoking; the final report of the National Review of Education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People; an Australian Disability Strategy, requiring all government programs to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992; and funding for a National Prevention Strategy for Child Abuse and Neglect.