Mr RIOLI - 1999-11-24
My question alsoconcerns the continued lack of interpreter services for indigenous Territorians. Health professionals have attested there are many examples of female sterilisation being performed on non-English speaking Aboriginal women without full consent or explanation, where the women are not told or do not understand that the effects are permanent. An Aboriginal woman from near Katherine was sterilised after the birth of her second child at 18 years of age. She was not told the operation was permanent and subsequently sought medical help to investigate her infertility.
Do you acknowledge, minister, that your inability and unwillingness to fund interpreter services results in surgical procedures like female sterilisation being performed without informed consent, with severe personal, psychological and cultural implications for the women, their families and the communities involved? Is it a fact no other section of the Australian community would tolerate such discrimination?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the final point was that no other section of the Australian community would tolerate such discrimination that a person would undergo a surgical procedure and not have all of the possibilities explained to them. Well, that sounds pretty emotive.
I can tell you, I was talking to my 74-year-old Mum the other day. She had a ...
Mr Toyne: Oh, come on! Get serious.
Mr BURKE: I am getting serious. You’re saying this is discrimination. My 74-year-old mum had a full hysterectomy in her 40s. She only found out the other day that she has osteoporosis. Because of the hysterectomy, she hasn’t been able to produce the appropriate hormones and therefore her bones are going brittle. She said to me that if the doctor had explained that to her at the time, she would have been on the appropriate medication to overcome it. Now she’s playing catch-up, but her bones are very brittle.
The fact that procedures are not explained in their entirety to some people is not an act of discrimination against one segment of the population. It’s unfortunate that it occurs, and the medical profession, I’m sure, works diligently, as do other professions, to ensure that as far as possible those sorts of instances do not occur.
With regard to Aboriginal interpreter services, there was an Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report. There have been various reports put to government. It is quite futile running individual cases in this House to try to back up an argument that has been well and truly presented in some detail in 30 individual cases to government. The government has acted as a first response, based on those reports and other anecdotal evidence. As I said earlier, through the normal budgetary process, if further improvement to the service is needed, we will do effect it.
Do you acknowledge, minister, that your inability and unwillingness to fund interpreter services results in surgical procedures like female sterilisation being performed without informed consent, with severe personal, psychological and cultural implications for the women, their families and the communities involved? Is it a fact no other section of the Australian community would tolerate such discrimination?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the final point was that no other section of the Australian community would tolerate such discrimination that a person would undergo a surgical procedure and not have all of the possibilities explained to them. Well, that sounds pretty emotive.
I can tell you, I was talking to my 74-year-old Mum the other day. She had a ...
Mr Toyne: Oh, come on! Get serious.
Mr BURKE: I am getting serious. You’re saying this is discrimination. My 74-year-old mum had a full hysterectomy in her 40s. She only found out the other day that she has osteoporosis. Because of the hysterectomy, she hasn’t been able to produce the appropriate hormones and therefore her bones are going brittle. She said to me that if the doctor had explained that to her at the time, she would have been on the appropriate medication to overcome it. Now she’s playing catch-up, but her bones are very brittle.
The fact that procedures are not explained in their entirety to some people is not an act of discrimination against one segment of the population. It’s unfortunate that it occurs, and the medical profession, I’m sure, works diligently, as do other professions, to ensure that as far as possible those sorts of instances do not occur.
With regard to Aboriginal interpreter services, there was an Anti-Discrimination Commissioner’s report. There have been various reports put to government. It is quite futile running individual cases in this House to try to back up an argument that has been well and truly presented in some detail in 30 individual cases to government. The government has acted as a first response, based on those reports and other anecdotal evidence. As I said earlier, through the normal budgetary process, if further improvement to the service is needed, we will do effect it.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016