Tasmanian children living with hearing loss have been ignored in Michael Ferguson’s budget.
The Shepherd Centre in Hobart, which provides critical services to help children with hearing loss learn to listen and speak, was seeking capped funding of $350,000 over three years from the State Government.
This modest funding request would allow the centre to turbo-charge local early intervention services at both ends of the state for babies and kids with hearing loss, after the Albanese Government contributed $3 million to establish the centres.
The provision of these services is critical for these kids to ensure they have the very best chances in life. Now they will be turned away.
After nearly ten years in government, the Liberals have clearly lost their way under Premier Jeremy Rockliff.
The fact they can find hundreds-of-millions of dollars for a stadium, but can’t find hundreds-of-thousands for children with hearing loss, is a sharp reminder of Jeremy Rockliff’s wrong priorities for Tasmania.
Luke Edmunds MLC
Shadow Minister for Disability