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Speak Out
August 2015
Speech Pathology Australia
BRANCH NEWS
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Clockwise from left: Gail Mulcair, Tim Kittel, Diana Bleby, Gaenor Dixon, Jenny Moody and Hon. Kelly Vincent.
POLITICIANS ARE PEOPLE,
just like the rest of us, and
sometimes opportunities can arise whether its by formally
presenting them with a strong strategic agenda, or just by
chancing upon them in a more relaxed context.
The South Australian Branch has a well-established
relationship with Kelly Vincent, Dignity for Disability
MLC. Ironically, the fact that this article is being written on
the eve of major advocacy changes being put in place for
our court system for victims and perpetrators with language
and intellectual needs demonstrates Kelly’s work and
passion for supporting the disability population.
Thanks to Kelly, a few weeks ago, the SA Branch managed to
secure a cross parliamentary lunchtime forum where members
of Speech Pathology Australia, both local and national,
talked about the Federal Senate Inquiry and what it meant
for South Australia. Arranging this meeting was no small feat,
but it all came about as the result of a very opportune casual
encounter.
During 2014, the year of the International Communication
Project, 'communication champion' Diana Bleby (Lobbying
and Influencing committee member) met with a number of
politicians, including Kelly; and a promise, by a different MLC,
was made to host a cross parliamentary forum. Diana was
asked to wait until after the election but even then, follow up
emails led to nothing. Diana then “bumped into” Kelly in the
main street of Adelaide on a non-working day and Kelly said,
“hey, we need to catch up!” A meeting time was made, the failed
cross-parliamentary forum was brought up in this meeting, and
Kelly said, “right – I will organise one”, and she did.
SPA goes inside South Australia’s parliament