Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This Saturday, I will be joining the Deaf Festival, with the deaf community, on the banks of the Parramatta River, where we will celebrate. The festival is part of the National Week of Deaf People, when we celebrate our deaf community and their language and culture. This year's theme is 'With Auslan right, we are equal'. This theme highlights the importance of this unique language. A deaf child, from birth, needs to learn the concepts of language as they grow. In parliament this week, we spoke about the deaf community. I am excited—I am; I am excited—to be joining in the Deaf Festival.

Ms Owens simultaneously delivered her speech in Australian Sign Language—

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Parramatta and I acknowledge that that is the first time I have seen Auslan spoken in this House.