Senate debates Motions

World Sight Day


Stephen Parry

Stephen Parry Tasmania, Liberal Party

3:55 pm

Senator Rhiannon, are we ready to come back to your matter? I am getting an indication that that is a 'yes'.

Lee Rhiannon

Lee Rhiannon NSW, Australian Greens

Yes, thank you.

Stephen Parry

Stephen Parry Tasmania, Liberal Party

We got to the stage where you sought leave to have the amended notice of motion taken as formal. I think we will start there—is leave granted?

Leave granted.

Lee Rhiannon

Lee Rhiannon NSW, Australian Greens

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that:

  (i)   on World Sight Day, held on 10 October 2013, the Global Action Plan to reduce avoidable blindness and vision impairment by 25 per cent by 2019 was promoted, and

  (ii)   more than $80 million from Australia's aid budget has been allocated to blindness prevention work in low-income countries since 2007;

(b)   congratulates Vision 2020 Australia for its work to focus global attention on taking action to prevent blindness and vision impairment; and

(c)   calls on the Australian Government and partner countries to continue efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness in the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region, including through Vision 2020.

Question agreed to.