❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks details on the implementation and expenditure related to the WA Languages Services Policy across the Mines and Petroleum, Fisheries, and Electoral Affairs portfolios. The answers reveal varying levels of policy implementation and expenditure across the departments.
AnsweredQoN 6471Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
In relation to the Western Australian Languages Services Policy, launched by Premier Colin Barnett in 2008, which states that Government agencies are required to have policies for funding and delivering translating and interpreting services that take account of relevant Government policy, legal circumstances and the needs of potential and current clients, I ask:
(a) what policies in each agency in the Minister’s departments have been implemented, and when;
(b) what funding and expenditure has been incurred since 2008 on translation and interpreting services by which agencies and to whom was the funding paid;
(c) can the Minister please table all policies which have been produced and are readily available to agency staff and clients; and
(d) in each agency, can the Minister please list which situations have been identified where interpreters and translators must, should or may be used?
(a) what policies in each agency in the Minister’s departments have been implemented, and when;
(b) what funding and expenditure has been incurred since 2008 on translation and interpreting services by which agencies and to whom was the funding paid;
(c) can the Minister please table all policies which have been produced and are readily available to agency staff and clients; and
(d) in each agency, can the Minister please list which situations have been identified where interpreters and translators must, should or may be used?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
29 November 2011
Responded by
Minister representing the Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Fisheries; Electoral Affairs
Response time
28 days
DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND PETROLEUM
(a) The Department of Mines and Petroleum provides, when required on infrequent occasions, interpreter services to the resources industry. However, resource companies often provide their own interpreters if language is a difficulty. The Department has a register of staff who are able to translate and works closely with the Western Australian Government's overseas offices as required to provide translation services.
(b) $360.00 to Ms Song Ying, a Tokyo based translator, for translation of technical English into geoscientific Japanese.
(c) The Department has no written policy documents relating to translating and interpreter services.
(d) The Department works in cooperation with the Western Australian Government's overseas offices of the Department of State Development and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, who translate information provided for each local market.
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (MERIWA)
(a) MERIWA has not had any cause to implement any language policies. MERIWA is a small statutory authority (4 part time employees) which facilitates and sponsors mineral and energy research in Western Australia. All applications for funding have been in English.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Not applicable.
(d) There has been no situation where interpreters and translators have been required.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES
(a) There are no Department of Fisheries policies related specifically to written translation or interpreter services.
The Department has adopted the Western Australian Languages Services Policy 2008 as the document Fisheries Officers adhere to in the course of their duties when considering whether an interpreter is required.
(b) As demand for written translation services is unpredictable, there is no general funding directed to these services - each translation requirement is funded through individual projects.
Expenditure for translation services from 2008 - 2011 is $27,375.
Interpreting services were provided by Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) National,
eTranslate
and On-Call Interpreters & Translators Agency Pty Ltd.
(c) Not applicable.
(d) There are no specific situations that have been identified where written translations must, should or may be used.
A determination of the use of written translations is made via individual project Communications Plans - and depends on the purpose of the communication and the kind of information that needs to be conveyed; the number of clients requiring access to written translated material; the complexity and legal requirements of the communication and the level of risk arising from English-only communications or miscommunications.
Fisheries Officers determine whether an interpreter is required, by adhering to the Western Australian Languages Services Policy 2008. If an interpreter is required, they must be used when advising people of their legal rights and obligations and when they need to give informed consent. This ensures that the information they provide during record of interviews and statements has been obtained fairly and voluntarily.
An interpreter may also be used when promoting Western Australian fisheries to international investors and officials.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION
(a) The Western Australian Electoral Commission introduced a Language Services Policy in March 2009 to complement the sector wide policy document.
(b) $1 881.76 has been paid to Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) for translating and interpreting telephone queries as required, and for translating election information brochures.
(c) The Commission's Language Services Policy is attached [
tabled paper
........].
(d) Reception staff should use a translating service when assisting with enquiries where a telephone interpreter is required.
Polling Place staff are instructed in their election manual to make available the multilingual guide, which has how to vote information in commonly spoken foreign languages (based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data). If an elector speaks a language that is not included in the guide or needs further language assistance staff may telephone the Commonwealth Translating and Interpreting Service where practicable to do so.
Where possible, local assistants are employed during major electoral events to assist electors with specific language needs in Aboriginal communities and during remote polling.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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(a) The Department of Mines and Petroleum provides, when required on infrequent occasions, interpreter services to the resources industry. However, resource companies often provide their own interpreters if language is a difficulty. The Department has a register of staff who are able to translate and works closely with the Western Australian Government's overseas offices as required to provide translation services.
(b) $360.00 to Ms Song Ying, a Tokyo based translator, for translation of technical English into geoscientific Japanese.
(c) The Department has no written policy documents relating to translating and interpreter services.
(d) The Department works in cooperation with the Western Australian Government's overseas offices of the Department of State Development and the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, who translate information provided for each local market.
MINERALS AND ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA (MERIWA)
(a) MERIWA has not had any cause to implement any language policies. MERIWA is a small statutory authority (4 part time employees) which facilitates and sponsors mineral and energy research in Western Australia. All applications for funding have been in English.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Not applicable.
(d) There has been no situation where interpreters and translators have been required.
DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES
(a) There are no Department of Fisheries policies related specifically to written translation or interpreter services.
The Department has adopted the Western Australian Languages Services Policy 2008 as the document Fisheries Officers adhere to in the course of their duties when considering whether an interpreter is required.
(b) As demand for written translation services is unpredictable, there is no general funding directed to these services - each translation requirement is funded through individual projects.
Expenditure for translation services from 2008 - 2011 is $27,375.
Interpreting services were provided by Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) National,
eTranslate
and On-Call Interpreters & Translators Agency Pty Ltd.
(c) Not applicable.
(d) There are no specific situations that have been identified where written translations must, should or may be used.
A determination of the use of written translations is made via individual project Communications Plans - and depends on the purpose of the communication and the kind of information that needs to be conveyed; the number of clients requiring access to written translated material; the complexity and legal requirements of the communication and the level of risk arising from English-only communications or miscommunications.
Fisheries Officers determine whether an interpreter is required, by adhering to the Western Australian Languages Services Policy 2008. If an interpreter is required, they must be used when advising people of their legal rights and obligations and when they need to give informed consent. This ensures that the information they provide during record of interviews and statements has been obtained fairly and voluntarily.
An interpreter may also be used when promoting Western Australian fisheries to international investors and officials.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION
(a) The Western Australian Electoral Commission introduced a Language Services Policy in March 2009 to complement the sector wide policy document.
(b) $1 881.76 has been paid to Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) for translating and interpreting telephone queries as required, and for translating election information brochures.
(c) The Commission's Language Services Policy is attached [
tabled paper
........].
(d) Reception staff should use a translating service when assisting with enquiries where a telephone interpreter is required.
Polling Place staff are instructed in their election manual to make available the multilingual guide, which has how to vote information in commonly spoken foreign languages (based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data). If an elector speaks a language that is not included in the guide or needs further language assistance staff may telephone the Commonwealth Translating and Interpreting Service where practicable to do so.
Where possible, local assistants are employed during major electoral events to assist electors with specific language needs in Aboriginal communities and during remote polling.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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