ABSTRACT
The composition of the Steering Committee was at the discretion of the Deputy Prime Minister / Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunity. All members had agreed voluntarily to be part of the Steering Committee – yet the discretionary manner in which the Steering Committee was constituted was not without its effects on the rest of the work. Once the Steering Committee was set up, it devoted more than 12 months to carrying out its mandate. Five thematic sub-committees were set up, focusing on: education; work and employment; governance; housing and health care: and culture and media, including associations. In contrast, some members thought that the reflection had not gone far enough and that the Steering Committee was too readily accepting 'mainstream thinking'. The Steering Committee's recommendation did, however, urge a profound and principled rethinking of the holiday arrangements before opting for the status quo.
