Hearing-impaired advocacy groups have called out the government after a recent Cabinet livestream aired without a sign language interpreter, as is customary. The ruling party says opposition-led budget cuts have prevented them from hiring these professionals.
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00:00A routine live stream from Taiwan's highest administrative body, the Executive Yuan,
00:05is now causing a public uproar.
00:07Missing from the screen, the long-customary sign language interpreter.
00:11We usually have sign language interpreters in front of the green screen, but because
00:17of the new budget, we really can't invite sign language interpreters.
00:21We're really sorry to our listeners.
00:23And that's exactly what this message on screen stated.
00:26Where the sign language interpreter would have normally been, the administrative organ
00:30led by the ruling DPP party, instead said that one couldn't be hired because of sweeping
00:35budgets spearheaded by the opposition parties in the legislature.
00:40Cuts that the opposition says targets unnecessary spending.
00:43I want to emphasize that the government officials' travel expenses, their domestic and overseas
00:53The government leaving out the sign language interpreter from this live stream prompted
01:04an angry response from the deaf community.
01:22But this is just the latest in what's becoming a political tug of war.
01:30With the KMT-led opposition bloc holding a majority in the legislature, they have the
01:35power to check the ruling DPP, led by President Lai Ching-de.
01:39The cuts also impact the military, media, and utilities.
01:43The KMT is kind of in their DNA to oppose just about everything that the DPP does.
01:50So without any other tools, this is the one way they're going to get the Lai administration
01:55actually to pay attention to them.
01:58As this political rivalry persists, caught in between is the Taiwanese public, with groups
02:03now like the Hearing Impaired feeling like the politicians aren't protecting their interests.
02:09Patrick Chen and Wesley Lewis for Taiwan Plus.