Mr  J. BULL (Sunbury) — The matter I raise is for the Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing. The action I seek is for the minister to investigate and report back to the house on the possibility of ensuring all new videos produced by the state government and its statutory bodies are captioned. This measure will ensure that deaf people will be a step closer to having full access to these videos and staying well informed, well advised and fully included in the community. We, as leaders and advocates in our communities, must work hard to address any barriers that prevent learning and participation. I understand that the USA and the UK have better access for the deaf community than we do here in Victoria, or Australia for that matter, and this is something I want to work towards changing.

In time I hope that relevant sectors such as business, media and entertainment will learn from us if we lead the way towards full inclusion with these small but significant steps. I have a number of deaf people in the Sunbury community, and I also have members of my extended family who are deaf. I have had numerous conversations with these people, and it has helped shape my opinion on this matter. There are simply too many barriers in place at present to be achieving any real access. Rebecca Adam, the executive general manager for strategy at Deaf Children Australia, has said, ‘The message they’re saying to them is, “You are not valued, you are not important”’. That is certainly not a message that we want to be giving.

Deaf and deaf-hearing blended families deserve the right to share an experience together on an equal level. Captioning and interpreting are two different issues, but this is simply another example of the barriers to equality that are set in place. The deaf community is a proud and active one. They deserve to form their own opinions on the government and opposition of the day and their policies and to participate fully in debates relating to their lives and the lives of their community. You cannot be seen as equal and active citizens if you do not have equal access to that information. As the president of Deaf Victoria, Marnie Kerridge, aptly pointed out to me recently, ‘We are taxpayers, and we are voters. Captioned content can and will influence our vote’. This government is an inclusive government, one that cares for all Victorians. As we move forward, we must get more inclusive, not less.