Key Points
- David Pocock’s request an Auslan interpreter by him for his first Senate speech was denied over logistical concerns.
- The federal government is instead now investigating options to allow the speech to be translated remotely.
Independent Senator David Pocock wanted to have an Auslan interpreter by his side when he delivered his maiden Senate speech, but logistical barriers, which saw his request denied, have reignited concerns from deaf Australians about a failure to ensure political discourse is accessible for them.
Senator Pocock’s attempt to seek permission to have an Auslan interpreter with him in the Senate was denied by the government and Opposition over logistical concerns around delivering a broadcast of the translation.
The federal government is instead now investigating options to allow the speech to be translated remotely to ensure it can be done in “the most accessible way".
Independent Senator David Pocock has pushed for his maiden Senate speech to be translated by an Auslan interpreter. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
“My concern is that an Auslan interpreter won’t be there on the floor with Senator Pocock, so a lack of accessibility for deaf people and the deaf community,” she said.
“It is very disappointing to not have that direct access — what does that say about the opportunity for people to be participating in that discussion and processes.”
The role of an Auslan interpreter is to communicate between hearing and deaf people by converting spoken language into sign language.
In a letter to Senator Pocock, Labor’s leader in the Senate Penny Wong said the government is engaging with party leaders to facilitate a “live-translation” of the first speech.
Senator Pocock told SBS News he believed the presence of the interpreter in person also would have sent a “powerful message of inclusion".
"While disappointed that the major parties were unwilling to grant my request to have an Auslan interpreter on the floor, and the message this sends, I’m glad that there will be some measures in place to enable live translating," he said.
“For me, that means making our parliament more inclusive. I don’t want some people in our community to feel excluded, or separate.”
The government has instead proposed having an Auslan interpreter live-translating the speech in real-time from the Parliament House Broadcast Studio.
It said it would then ensure the Auslan interpreter is visible on large screens in the Senate chamber so those present and in public galleries could follow the speech.
“We remain committed to ensuring the accessibility of your first speech and also remaining willing to facilitate further discussions with party leaders,” Senator Wong wrote.
Senator Pocock was required to seek permission to have an Auslan interpreter present because it is not Senate practice to allow people who are not elected to be present on the floor of the chamber.
He said his decision to have his speech interpreted follows advocacy from the deaf community requesting he ensure his speech was accessible.
“While I appreciate the Senate is a place of tradition and convention, I also believe there is a strong case to update practice to better reflect our community’s values,” Senator Pocock said.
“We want to make everyone in our community feel welcome, valued and included.”
The Greens gave their consent to having an Auslan interpreter on the floor and are also seeking to have maiden speeches from their Senators translated by Auslan speakers.
The federal government has also previously said it plans to use “Auslan interpreters regularly” in response to concerns
Auslan translation has become more widely visible as a regular feature of public communication during the pandemic.
Ms Blyth said her organisation has called on the government to take action towards improving accessibility for deaf Australians.
“It’s a constant barrier for deaf people not understanding the intricacies of what’s going on in politics because decisions made by politicians affect a deaf person’s life,” she said.
“[Senator Pocock] couldn’t just say this is a human right to bring in the interpreter. He had to ask permission to provide access — that for me is quite problematic.”
Existing services for people with hearing impairments in parliament include hearing loops and live captioning.
The valedictory speech of former Democrats leader and Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja was previously interpreted in the public gallery of the Senate in 2008.
