Page 196 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020

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(c) live news sometimes does not have captions because of the fast moving and immediate nature of situational updates; and

(3) calls on the Federal Government to:

(a) address the lack of Auslan interpreters with level 3 accreditation in the ACT and across Australia;

(b) provide any additional funding and support required to increase numbers of interpreters with level 3 accreditation; and

This is, rightly, something that the commonwealth should be leading on. However, I welcome the suggestions from Ms Le Couteur that she will be making when speaking to the amendment that she is circulating.

MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (4.35): I thank Minister Gentleman for moving the amendment to Ms Lawder’s motion, to which I will now move my amendment:

Add:

“(4) calls on the ACT Government to:

(a) ensure that all communications policies and procedures for emergency situations include provision of Auslan interpreters on screen and live captioning as well as briefing of media representatives, including camera operators on the needs of deaf and hearing-impaired people;

(b) continue strategies, incentives and potentially scholarships to assist people to become NAATI accredited in Auslan to build local capability; and

The Greens are supporting all the other bits of the chain—Mr Gentleman’s amendment to Ms Lawder’s motion and an additional amendment to that amendment. Although we know the federal government has a significant role in ensuring national accreditation of interpretation, including Auslan interpreters, the ACT government also has a role to play in enhancing Auslan capability in the Canberra community.

I begin by stating that, as the motion indicates, the ACT Emergency Services Agency, along with their partners, provided an outstanding response to the bushfire threats experienced by our community—all our community, including of course our deaf community. I have no doubt that our learning from the 2003 Canberra bushfires contributed to enhanced preparedness and saving lives and properties this time around. It is always useful to reflect on such circumstances once they have passed in order to ensure that we do even better next time.

Whilst I am sure the ACT government did the best it could in the circumstances, the issues Ms Lawder raises regarding successful communications in the time of impending emergency of course are very valid. We must ensure that, in times where all Canberrans need to be aware of what is going on around them, in fact all Canberrans are aware of and can understand the messages that are being delivered, because these messages can literally be lifesaving. Further to that, I would add that we

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