Mr RIOLI - 1999-08-17
The Territory government provides interpreter services for many ethnic groups in the Northern Territory. Why does the Territory government rightfully accept its responsibility to provide these language services but seek to pass the buck when it comes to providing the same sort of services for Aboriginal Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, if we are talking aboutaccepting responsibility, let us talk about Alice Springs health services. Alice Springs Hospital has a liaison team which has employed Aboriginal interpreters since 1992. The team now consists of five Aboriginal liaison officers and three social workers. All of the Aboriginal interpreters, I’m advised, are NAATI qualified. In achieving these qualifications they have undertaken extensive interpreter training and ongoing education and in recent years have received training through the Institute for Aboriginal Development. Their training has included particular attention to the interpretation of medical terminology and medical conditions. Among the liaison officers, most Centralian Aboriginal languages are covered.
I am also advised that Territory Health Services spends the best part of $750 000 per year through PATS to fund escorts - 3562 escorts last year, in fact – to assist Aboriginal patients entering the THS system to ensure their welfare and explain the procedures that will be followed in their treatment.
So does the Northern Territory have a interpreter service in place? Yes, we do - not the best, not perfect, but we do. Before criticising the Northern Territory, look to other jurisdictions and see what they do in the way of interpreter services. As I’ve said on a number of occasions, if we’re talking about the need for qualified Aboriginal interpreters, look in the backyard of the Commonwealth. It has the primary responsibility to provide Aboriginal legal aid services, funded through ATSIC. No Aboriginal interpreter is formally incorporated as part of that service. In fact, when we look at ATSIC’s offices in the Northern Territory, no qualified Aboriginal interpreter is providing services to ATSIC itself.
We look to improving the Aboriginal interpreter service that we have in the Northern Territory. I say we should aim to improve it as best we can. But when the government, as the custodian of taxpayers’ dollars, is considering the provision of what in effect is a groundbreaking service, not in existence in any other jurisdiction of Australia, we have to be very clear in establishing what are the costs and benefits that will arise from that service. I can give an undertaking that the government is ...
Ms Martin: Did you read the report, Denis?
Mr BURKE: I’ll answer the Leader of the Opposition’s question this way. She asked me have I read the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report. I can tell her that, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, I have been Attorney-General in the Northern Territory for a number of years. I have been minister for health in the Northern Territory for a number of years. On a day-to-day experience basis, I have more experience than is reflected in that single report. I don’t discount the value of that report for one moment. I simply say that, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, one relies on one’s own experience on a day-to-day basis besides reading reports such as that.
I have written to the Prime Minister on the issue. I have spoken to the Commonwealth Attorney-General and to Senator Herron on the issue. I spoke with the Prime Minister this morning and he has undertaken to reply to my letter formally by the end of the week. I’m seeing him again in two weeks and I will be raising the issue of Aboriginal interpreter services again.
I am considering very seriously, in fact, putting this issue on the next Leaders’ Forum agenda. It seems to me that if we’re going to look at a comprehensive Aboriginal interpreter service that is not discriminatory to Aboriginals, we have to look at a service not only for the Northern Territory but possibly Australia-wide and certainly in the northern parts of South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. They have no service of any real worth in place at the moment. That to my mind is an issue that the Leaders’ Forum needs to discuss. I’ve indicated my opinion to the Prime Minister that I believe it requires Commonwealth support.
It’s certainly our intention as a government to improve the current service we have. But we have a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that they don’t bear the full brunt of any new service that’s put in place. I’m endeavouring to find other funding avenues and I am certainly acting, I believe, entirely in the interests of Aboriginal people on this issue.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, if we are talking aboutaccepting responsibility, let us talk about Alice Springs health services. Alice Springs Hospital has a liaison team which has employed Aboriginal interpreters since 1992. The team now consists of five Aboriginal liaison officers and three social workers. All of the Aboriginal interpreters, I’m advised, are NAATI qualified. In achieving these qualifications they have undertaken extensive interpreter training and ongoing education and in recent years have received training through the Institute for Aboriginal Development. Their training has included particular attention to the interpretation of medical terminology and medical conditions. Among the liaison officers, most Centralian Aboriginal languages are covered.
I am also advised that Territory Health Services spends the best part of $750 000 per year through PATS to fund escorts - 3562 escorts last year, in fact – to assist Aboriginal patients entering the THS system to ensure their welfare and explain the procedures that will be followed in their treatment.
So does the Northern Territory have a interpreter service in place? Yes, we do - not the best, not perfect, but we do. Before criticising the Northern Territory, look to other jurisdictions and see what they do in the way of interpreter services. As I’ve said on a number of occasions, if we’re talking about the need for qualified Aboriginal interpreters, look in the backyard of the Commonwealth. It has the primary responsibility to provide Aboriginal legal aid services, funded through ATSIC. No Aboriginal interpreter is formally incorporated as part of that service. In fact, when we look at ATSIC’s offices in the Northern Territory, no qualified Aboriginal interpreter is providing services to ATSIC itself.
We look to improving the Aboriginal interpreter service that we have in the Northern Territory. I say we should aim to improve it as best we can. But when the government, as the custodian of taxpayers’ dollars, is considering the provision of what in effect is a groundbreaking service, not in existence in any other jurisdiction of Australia, we have to be very clear in establishing what are the costs and benefits that will arise from that service. I can give an undertaking that the government is ...
Ms Martin: Did you read the report, Denis?
Mr BURKE: I’ll answer the Leader of the Opposition’s question this way. She asked me have I read the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report. I can tell her that, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, I have been Attorney-General in the Northern Territory for a number of years. I have been minister for health in the Northern Territory for a number of years. On a day-to-day experience basis, I have more experience than is reflected in that single report. I don’t discount the value of that report for one moment. I simply say that, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, one relies on one’s own experience on a day-to-day basis besides reading reports such as that.
I have written to the Prime Minister on the issue. I have spoken to the Commonwealth Attorney-General and to Senator Herron on the issue. I spoke with the Prime Minister this morning and he has undertaken to reply to my letter formally by the end of the week. I’m seeing him again in two weeks and I will be raising the issue of Aboriginal interpreter services again.
I am considering very seriously, in fact, putting this issue on the next Leaders’ Forum agenda. It seems to me that if we’re going to look at a comprehensive Aboriginal interpreter service that is not discriminatory to Aboriginals, we have to look at a service not only for the Northern Territory but possibly Australia-wide and certainly in the northern parts of South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. They have no service of any real worth in place at the moment. That to my mind is an issue that the Leaders’ Forum needs to discuss. I’ve indicated my opinion to the Prime Minister that I believe it requires Commonwealth support.
It’s certainly our intention as a government to improve the current service we have. But we have a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure that they don’t bear the full brunt of any new service that’s put in place. I’m endeavouring to find other funding avenues and I am certainly acting, I believe, entirely in the interests of Aboriginal people on this issue.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016