Page 4951 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 26 November 1991
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The fact is that those of us in practice who practise extensively in areas that do require language assistance have very great challenges at times to get that assistance in the long trials and to get interpreters in the sometimes quite esoteric languages such as Pacific Islander languages and languages used, for example, in Irian Jaya - all of which I have had to deal with in the courts here. We do have difficulties.
The Victorian Government has developed an extensive panel system that encourages people to go, as you know, Mrs Grassby, through the NAATI process - the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters process - which I had the honour to assist with for a number of years while on an advisory panel. Those people are encouraged to improve their qualifications on the basis that they will be properly paid for their level 3 skills - and they are properly paid when governments take the lead and set the ball going by getting those language services established, centrally, within the court precinct, in those terms.
There are many user pays issues in respect of civil litigation, medical evidence and all the rest. Mr Connolly made light of the issue and dismissed it. I regret that.
Proposed expenditure agreed to.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MR SPEAKER: Order! It being 9.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Berry: I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.
Question resolved in the negative.
SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER 76
MR BERRY (Deputy Chief Minister) (9.30): Mr Speaker, I move:
That standing order 76 be suspended for the remainder of this sitting.
I have moved this motion to enable some draft variations to be tabled this evening by the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning.
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