Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is one of the most successful multicultural nations in the world. Our story is one of migration—of people arriving on this continent from every corner of the globe, bringing with them skills, traditions, faiths, languages and hopes for a better future. Australians come from all walks of life and from almost every country on earth. Some arrive with English skills better than many members of this chamber. Others, particularly those reuniting with family, arrive with limited or no English skills at all. That diversity is not a weakness; it is one of our greatest strengths. But it also brings with it a responsibility to ensure that language is never a barrier to dignity, safety, opportunity or participation in Australian society. That is why government funded translating and interpreting services are not a luxury; they are essential nation-building infrastructure.

Australia first established government translation services in 1947, in response to the large influx of postwar migrants from Europe. At that time, we recognised a simple truth: people cannot integrate, work, access health care or comply with the law if they cannot understand it. That system was built upon in 1973, when Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a national telephone interpreting service. Today, TIS National supports more than 2,700 interpreters across over 150 languages. Those interpreters work across metropolitan suburbs, regional towns, courts, hospitals, police stations, medical facilities, workplaces and homes. They are vital to improving quality of life, ensuring fairness and allowing residents to access services they would otherwise be completely locked out of. Access to language is also essential to a healthy democracy, because informed citizens must first be able to understand the systems that serve them and the processes that enable their participation.

I know personally just how impactful programs like this can be. When I arrived in Australia as a young girl, I could not read English. I struggled to speak it properly. Even when I could manage a casual conversation, I certainly could not understand complex processes, legal language or government forms. Like many migrant families, the Fernando family relied heavily on family friends and community members to translate for us—a reality that thousands of my constituents in Holt continue to rely on every day. I learned English by reading classical novels such as Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It was hard work. When I first started, it would take me more than three months to finish a single novel. Through the hard work, perseverance and support of incredible teachers, including Ms Tassle, Mrs Rainsford, Mr Hall and Mr Jappie, those months to finish a novel turned into weeks and those weeks turned into days. Learning a language is hard at any age.

Learning a new language is far easier when you are younger. For older migrants, parents, and grandparents who move here to join their children, learning English is a much more difficult task. That is why translating and interpreting services are so crucial in electorates like mine. In Holt, 47 per cent of residents speak a language other than English at home. Most speak English at an extremely high standard. We are also home to one of the largest refugee populations in the country. This diaspora from Afghanistan, Cambodia and Sri Lanka has escaped conflict. It represents families, small-business owners, carers, factory workers, cleaners, nurses and grandparents—people who contribute every day to our community but who struggle to access services without support. Language access is not merely a matter of convenience for these people. It is fundamental to participation and economic opportunity. When people understand their rights, their employment conditions and their responsibilities, they are able to enter the workforce sooner, contribute more quickly and help drive Australia's economic growth.

One of the best services delivered by TIS National is the free translating service. If a person has been granted a long-term visa within the last two years, they are entitled to have up to 10 personal documents translated free of charge. That includes birth, death and marriage certificates, school certificates, academic transcripts, letters of reference, bank statements, employment records and medical documents. These translations would otherwise cost hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. By removing that cost, the government removes barriers to employment, education, housing, health care and settlement. It helps new arrivals find work, enrol their children in schools, secure rental property, open a bank account and access Medicare and other essential services. This is why TIS National is so vital—because a modern multicultural Australia only succeeds when residents are able to integrate and engage fully with Australian society.

TIS National not only supports engagement with government agencies; interpreting services are also available for non-government interactions, including with doctors and other healthcare providers, ensuring patients understand diagnosis, consent to treatment and receive safe care. These services are also used by trade unions to help workers understand their rights and protect themselves from exploitation and by real estate agents and housing providers to help families find secure accommodation. In times of crisis—whether they be bushfires, as we've recently had in Victoria, floods or public health emergencies—clear communication saves lives, and these services ensure that no-one is left behind when urgent information must be understood.

Crucially, these services are used by women escaping domestic and family violence. Language barriers can trap women in violent relationships. It can isolate them from society and limit their knowledge of where they can reach out to. It can prevent victims from seeking help, reporting abuse, understanding intervention orders or accessing crisis accommodation. For women who do not speak English fluently, an interpreter can be the difference between safety and continued harm. That is why this bill matters. Whether it's a woman escaping domestic violence, a new mum trying to access the parenting payment or an older Australian trying to access health care, this service provides great benefits.

Up till now, these translating and interpreting services have been delivered by successive Australian governments without explicit legislative authority. While such arrangements are not uncommon in government, they carry risk. They rely on administrative practices rather than statutory certainty. This bill fixes that. It provides a clear legislative framework that formally empowers the secretary of the Department of Home Affairs to continue delivering translating and interpreting services. It ensures transparency, accountability and continuity.

We know the demand is real. The most recent census showed that 3.4 per cent of Australians have low English skills, meaning they do not speak English well or at all. Some of the highest demand for interpreting services comes from communities with heritage in Vietnam, Greece, Korea, Italy and Spain—communities that have helped shape and build modern Australia. These services are relied upon daily by police, courts, aged-care providers, GPs, hospitals, the ATO, the Administrative Review Tribunal and the Federal Court.

Without interpreters, justice cannot be delivered fairly, health care cannot be delivered safely, government cannot be accessed equally. Labor understands this. It was a Labor government, led by Gough Whitlam, that dismantled the White Australia policy. It was Labor that laid the foundations of modern multicultural Australia, recognising that diversity strengthens our nation, but only when people are supported to participate fully. This bill continues that proud tradition. It recognises that language should never be a barrier to opportunity. It recognises that government services must be accessible to everyone, not just those fluent in English, and it recognises that a strong, cohesive Australia is one that everyone can understand, engage in and belong to.

TIS National is not just a service; it's a lifeline—a bridge between systems and people. This bill ensures that that bridge remains strong. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the interpreters themselves. They are highly skilled professionals who step into complex and often emotionally charged situations to ensure accuracy, dignity and fairness. The work you do every day is so vital, and it supports thousands of members in our community.

In closing, I want to thank the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Dr Anne Aly, and the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, for ensuring that the government's translating and interpreting services remain strong into the future. For that reason, I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

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