Page 267 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 February 2023
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I am grateful to all of those who contributed to this inquiry. I would like to name those who presented submissions: Deaf Australia, the ACT Disability Aged and Carer Advocacy Service, the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Legal Aid ACT, the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW and ACT, Advocacy for Inclusion, the Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association, Deaf Connect, Women’s Health Matters, the National Association of Australian Teachers of the Deaf, Expression Australia, the ACT Council of Social Service, Convo Australia, and ACT Courts and Tribunal.
Many Canberrans may be unfamiliar with the committee process of this Assembly, but, on this occasion, I can say that I believe this committee process and this committee inquiry reflects very well on the Assembly and reflects well on the members who participated. Endorsing all 25 recommendations, I hope, can lead to lasting change for those people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the ACT. In particular, I would like to thank our committee secretary, Dr Adele Chynoweth, for her leadership in ensuring that we can present this high-quality report to the Assembly and to government today. Thank you.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (10.46): It was my pleasure to lodge petition 33-21, concerning Auslan rights, with the Assembly on 8 February 2022. It was a petition that sparked a critical inquiry into the importance of language and access to their language, Auslan, for the deaf community.
Now, a year later, on today’s occasion of the tabling of the report of that inquiry, including 25 recommendations, I would like to acknowledge the work of my colleagues on the committee, Mr Pettersson and Mr Davis. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the committee secretariat, who gave excellent support to the committee in this inquiry.
I also say thank you so much to everyone who placed their trust in the committee through their submissions and during our public hearings and site visits. To the members of the deaf community, both in the ACT and interstate, to policymakers, to practitioners, to teachers and students who invited us into their classrooms, to all of you I say a very sincere thankyou.
I think members in this place would know of my longstanding interest and connection with the ACT’s deaf community: deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people. As far back as 2015 I introduced a change to our standing orders to enable an Auslan interpreter to be on the floor of the Assembly. I have done my best since then to represent the interests of the deaf community. That is why I am so pleased to have worked so collaboratively with Mr Pettersson and Mr Davis and all the communities who helped us and enabled the presentation of this important report today. Thank you.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, members, and thank you to the Auslan interpreter.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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