Page 4731 - Week 13 - Thursday, 28 November 2019
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I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (11.14): I thank Mr Rattenbury for his statement in response to the motion I brought to the Assembly two months ago. There are a number of promising signs, but I am concerned that nothing is in place now that will help any member of our deaf community with crisis mental health support. I would also like to acknowledge the leaders in our deaf community here in Canberra. Many members of our deaf community go to them for support and advice. That puts a sort of cumulative weight onto those leaders as they are aware of the very difficult circumstances that some of our residents, some of our deaf community, are in. I hope that they can also take the time to look after themselves and their own mental health as a result of people coming to them as leaders in the community.
Mr Rattenbury has talked about the lack or short supply of Auslan interpreters and the high demand for Auslan interpreters. It should hardly be a surprise. Last term I spoke time and time again about issues relating to interpreters in the ACT, especially with regards to the Auslan courses at CIT and the government’s decision to scrap those courses. That is why we now have the Deaf Society in the ACT. But the scrapping of the Auslan courses at CIT was obviously going to have a flow-on effect here for our deaf community members. It was cutting off a ready supply of people who might go on to be interpreters. That also combined with additional demand or additional ability of people to access Auslan interpreters because of the introduction of the NDIS. This gave members of our deaf community the greater ability to engage interpreters, whereas it used to be more expensive for them, for example, to engage Auslan interpreters.
I again thank Mr Rattenbury for taking this very important issue of mental health on board. It is important for everyone in our community. Of course, there are some specific groups who have specific needs and we need to try to address this. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
I will take as stated Mr Rattenbury’s comments about possible avenues to explore to address and support the issue of mental health in our deaf community, but I am disappointed that there has been no particular or firm commitment to any changes at this time. I will remain committed to finding a way forward. I will remain committed to supporting and advocating for members of our deaf community here in the ACT. I will continue to bring forward those issues at any opportunity to ensure that they are not left behind and left out in the ACT.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Access to hydrotherapy
Ministerial statement
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Health and
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