Page 3221 - Week 11 - Thursday, 12 September 1991
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community representatives, government officials and learned academics. The committee strongly endorsed the concept of a community advocate. I commend the chairman of that committee, Nick Seddon, and the other committee members for that guidance.
Although the initiative is a simple concept, its development has been delayed by the fact that so much is expected of the office. In its basic form it serves to provide advocacy in guardianship matters. The office will also absorb existing youth advocacy functions, as specified in the Children's Services Act 1986. Provisions have also been made for the office to have a limited mental health advocacy function concerning forensic patients and the function of prescribed representative under the existing Mental Health Act 1983.
Merger of the youth advocate function depended to a large extent on the results of a separate community consultation on the role of the youth advocate. That consultation was commenced in January 1991 and has now been completed. The overwhelming response of the community is to maintain the existing role with some minor modifications.
This Bill conforms with the community's views and, to all intents and purposes, the merger is a simple name change from youth advocate to community advocate. Administratively, of course, youth advocacy services will be provided by the office of community advocate. No attempt has been made to tamper with the role of the youth advocate in this Bill and, indeed, that service may benefit from being merged with similar advocacy functions.
The community advocate is more than just the single officeholder. He or she will have overall responsibility for all the advocacy functions specified in this Bill, but with the power to delegate to staff of the office most of those functions. For example, the person who is the community advocate may, in his or her day-to-day activities, take carriage of guardianship matters and delegate responsibility for youth advocacy to another officer.
The community advocate will work closely with the guardianship and management of property tribunal. The community advocate can be appointed a guardian or manager of last resort. The community advocate will monitor other guardians and managers. For example, the community advocate will examine the accounts filed by managers who are appointed to handle the financial and property affairs of an incapacitated person. Under the guardianship and management of property legislation, the community advocate is entitled to charge a fee for that service.
Mr Speaker, in mental health matters, the community advocate will be available, as a prescribed representative, to protect the interests of a person who has been involuntarily detained or in respect of whom a treatment
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