23 March, 2011
Senator FIFIELD-I agree with Senator Siewert. The opposition would have been very happy to make amendments to this motion so that there could have been unanimity.
One of the reasons that the opposition is keen to support this motion is because funding a pilot program would enable this particular product to be made available to students with hearing impairments throughout Australia. Should a coalition government be elected, this is the sort of support for students with disabilities that the coalition’s education card, announced at the last election, would support. Up to $20,000 would be available to be directed to the school of the parent’s choice. This is exactly the sort of technology that that education card should support.
This is an extremely worthy project. The money in question to support the trial is not large. I and Senator Siewert would be absolutely delighted if shortly the government found its way clear to supporting this sort of project. It is a good project because it has demonstrated its effectiveness by lifting dramatically the educational outcomes of individual students in a short period of time. This is something very practical, very achievable and very doable. It is something that could be rolled out in a very short period of time. This particular pilot project or trial is well worth the government supporting and I hope that they see their way clear to doing so.