Labor is alarmed that the Abbott Government has already spent nearly half a million dollars on business and legal consultants in its desperate bid to sell off Australian Hearing.

 

According to the AusTender website, the Government has issued tenders for $300,000 for legal services and $137,500 for ‘business advisory services’ to privatise Australian Hearing.

 

The clear message from the Hearing Awareness Week breakfast held in Parliament House this morning is that privatisation of Australian Hearing will not help people with hearing impairments and the Abbott Government’s intention to privatise Australian Hearing is bad policy.

 

It’s an absolute disgrace that the Government is spending this money to find a way to provide inferior services to Australians with hearing impairments.

 

Hearing disorders place severe limitations on peoples’ ability to lead healthy, happy and fulfilling lives and they should be able to access affordable hearing care services. Australian Hearing provides those services right around Australia.

 

Since 1947, Australian Hearing has provided hearing care services to children, young adults, indigenous Australians, former military personnel and age pensioners with complex hearing needs.

 

Australian Hearing is the only organisation in Australia that trains paediatric audiologists.

 

People with hearing impairments and their advocates are simply gobsmacked that the Abbott government is going to privatise Australian Hearing.

 

People are worried and anxious that if Australian Hearing is privatised, their ability to access quality, affordable hearing care will be put at risk.

 

It is also clear that Coalition backbenchers have concerns over privatising Australian Hearing.

 

Australian Hearing provides affordable, accessible hearing care services to many Australians who simply can’t afford fully commercial services.

 

Like Medicare, the services provided by Australian Hearing are the envy of the world.

 

WEDNESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2014

 

MEDIA CONTACT: LEADER’S OFFICE MEDIA UNIT – 02 6277 4053