Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—During this parliament we have had by and large a non-political approach to disability issues. It is somewhat disappointing that the coalition and the Greens have put up this motion in this way. The government clearly supports—can I put it on the record—the first four points of the motion but cannot agree with the final point.

It is a well respected principle that parliaments are not the best place to make operational decisions on the delivery of programs or select the preferred providers of programs such as this. Whilst Ai-Live have demonstrated to the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, there are a range of other technologies both in current use and in development that may also assist children who are hearing impaired or who are deaf with their education. This government is committed to providing world-class education for all children and has demonstrated that through delivering the national curriculum, the BER program and the current review of funding for schools under Mr David Gonski. We will not and should not decide in this place which company should be funded to provide assistive technologies to our children. Surely, with respect, this is best done through the appropriate processes.