Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Peris and I included Senator Siewert as a mover of general business notice of motion No. 981, standing in my name and the name of Senator Peris for today, concerning the Close the Gap initiative, with specific reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children's ear services, so my apologies.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So included.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Peris and Siewert, move:

That the Senate notes that:

(a) support to 'Close the Gap' on health has been a bipartisan commitment;

(b) the World Health Organization has declared incidents of ear disease in communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory to be a 'massive health problem', with the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in remote community suffering with middle ear infections to be as high as 93 per cent;

(c) the relationship between hearing loss and early interaction with the justice system has been recognised by Indigenous health experts;

(d) the Western Australian Minister for Health, Mr Hames, has, during the week beginning 29 November 2015, cancelled the Government funding of the Telethon Speech and Hearing's Ear Health program, an Aboriginal children's ear clinic based in Perth, despite its rating of 'outstanding' in an independent review; and

(e) to achieve progress toward closing the gap across Australia, governments at all levels must recognise the importance of adequate funding for ear health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion arose because of a snap decision of the WA Barnett government to close the ear service that is run by the Telethon Kids Institute in Western Australia. It is run primarily to pick up hearing difficulties for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It has an outstanding reputation. It works well, right across the state, and yet, without warning, it has had its funding cut. This is a backward step, given that we are not meeting the targets on Close the Gap.

I would hope that the minister in here, Minister Scullion, speaks urgently to the Western Australian government about their intentions and why they have closed this outstanding service that is of absolute importance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. I would urge all in this chamber, particularly the Western Australians, to take this matter up directly with Premier Barnett.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I asked to be joined to this motion because it is so important. People may remember that the Community Affairs References Committee did a report on hearing services in Australia. We had a whole chapter on hearing services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We know very clearly the links with the issue that we have just been talking about. I have another motion on the links between hearing and incarceration. For example, the last information that became available on the hearing of Aboriginal prisoners in incarceration in the Northern Territory and in the Darwin Correctional Centre was that around 90 per cent of Aboriginal prisoners had some form of hearing impairment. The link is really clear, which is why we are so passionate about making sure we are addressing hearing, particularly of Aboriginal children. We know the life impacts that it has if we do not address these issues.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Peris, you can seek leave. It is up to the Senate, but there has been a strong recommendation that there be only one speaker per party during this time. In fact, the Procedure Committee some time ago indicated that this is normally for the discovery of formal business and no debate or speeches should be made, but there has been this tolerance for some time. You can seek leave of the chamber if you wish to. I just wish to let you know what the convention has been.

Question agreed to.