Page 166 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 May 1989
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those around sufferers treat the symptoms properly. There have been articles on this subject in the "Canberra Times" in recent weeks, the most recent of which appeared last Saturday or Sunday. That particular article contained an account of one mother's attempt to cope with a schizophrenic son, and was a quite moving account. That particular case ended in suicide. I understand that 10 per cent or more of sufferers of schizophrenia commit suicide, a very alarming statistic. The more that we can provide for the community to understand the nature of those problems, the more we will be able to cut back on the extent of that very dreadful statistic.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONSERVATION,
HERITAGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (11.56), by leave: I move:
That:
(1) A standing committee on Conservation, Heritage and the Environment be appointed to inquire into and report on -
(a) matters referred to it by the Assembly; and
(b) other matters considered by the committee to be matters of concern to the community.
(2) The committee consist of 3 members.
(3) A majority of members constitute a quorum of the committee.
(4) The committee be provided with necessary staff, facilities and resources.
In my response yesterday to the Chief Minister's original statement of objectives I noted that in today's world there is an increasing public sentiment that suggests that the environment, with associated matters, is indeed becoming probably the most important political issue on the agenda. It is one that we in this Assembly ignore at our peril, and I believe that we must focus the maximum amount of attention, energy and resources on dealing with these problems.
The Government, in putting forward its proposals for committees, brought forward only three committees, and none of them specifically referred to the questions of environment, conservation and heritage. It could be argued that one of the particular committees could deal with these matters, but I would have to say to the Government that, if it understood their importance, it should specifically mention that one or other of those committees was intended to deal with them. In some cases with those committees there was a long list of matters which the committees would address, and yet in no case were these matters dealt with.
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