Page 193 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 12 February 2020
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She might be sick. In one instance she was delayed by traffic during the Beard fire, when some roads were closed and she was trying to get in for a media conference. These things happen. I understand that, and the deaf community understand that. They are deeply grateful, and they wanted me to express their gratitude.
I will say what they will not say, what they would never say. As a marginalised community, they are often afraid to complain; they are afraid to make a fuss. They want to express their gratitude for the little crumbs that are thrown their way. They would never say that, but I am going to say that. Just because you throw them an interpreter every so often does not absolve you of the responsibility to provide the interpreter from the outset and as often as possible.
Thank you, Mandy, and other interpreters, for your work to keep Canberrans safe over the summer. As it ended up, it was smoke, fires and then hail. We have had an extraordinary summer so far. Of course, the bushfire season has not yet ended.
I look forward to a future Canberra where deaf people and people with disability more generally do not have to fight the same battle time after time to be acknowledged in this community and be acknowledged by this government, so that they do not have to fight the same battle every couple of years. At some point, surely the government will learn. Surely people will say, “This is our failure and we will learn. We will write it into our procedures and we will make sure this does not happen again.” When will that day come? I do not think it is good enough.
We talk about inclusivity. We talk about respect. But where is it on the ground? Where is it in action? I want action rather than words, especially in areas where we should have learned our lesson long ago. We should not have to fight the same thing over and over again.
I applaud the deaf community for taking matters into their own hands and making complaints to the government to get that communication access provided, I think from around 2 January. This is what they have to do. It is so tiresome and tiring when you have to say the same thing over and over again. Sometimes they feel: “Why should I bother? Why do I have to keep doing it time and again?” I can see that. It should not be up to them. It should be up to the government to fix it. They have been told over and over again.
Please, either provide the procedures you have now so that we can see if it is included, or develop procedures, policies, guidelines or protocols. Again, I do not care what you want to call them, but make sure they are there, and make sure that, next time we have serious events like this, you take the first step and do not wait for the community to come to you and ask for what should be provided as a matter of course.
I ask members to support my motion today.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (4.28): I begin today by taking the opportunity to thank the Auslan interpreters who supported
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