Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Cameron, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Australian Hearing Services has provided affordable hearing care services since 1947 and continues to provide services to over 450 000 children, young adults, Indigenous Australians, ex-service personnel and the elderly each year,

(ii) Australian Hearing Services provides affordable hearing care services at 468 hearing services centres and visiting sites throughout Australia, including regional and remote areas,

(iii) in the past 5 years Australian Hearing Services has paid the Government dividends totalling $22.8 million,

(iv) the National Commission of Audit recommended that Australian Hearing be privatised, and

(v) the 2014-15 Federal Budget provides an appropriation for funding a scoping study on the privatisation of Australian Hearing, of which $437 500 has already been spent on consultancies;

(b) acknowledges that:

(i) government funding and support for the Australian Government Hearing Services Program and the role in its delivery carried out by Australian Hearing are necessary for the provision of affordable hearing care services to Australians who might not otherwise be able to afford hearing care, and

(ii) privatisation of Australian Hearing would place the effectiveness of the Australian Government Hearing Services Program in jeopardy; and

(c) calls on the Government to:

(i) reject the National Commission of Audit recommendation to privatise Australian Hearing,

(ii) provide adequate funding to ensure That the Australian Government Hearing Services Program continues at current capacity or greater,

(iii) ensure the research functions carried out by the National Acoustical Laboratories continue at current capacity or greater,

(iv) provide guarantees That the high standard of service delivery under the Australian Government Hearing Services Program is maintained and enhanced, and

(v) provide certainty to Australians living in regional and remote areas that their access to high quality, affordable hearing care services will not be diminished.

Question agreed to.