Page 739 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 24 March 1993

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The second part of my motion is that "the Government have the draft Bill" - I stress the word "draft" - "ready for consideration by the new Mental Health Advisory Council within the next two months". I did not suggest that there should be legislation in two months; I suggested that within a two-month period a draft Bill - something - should be on the table for the body that the Minister himself set up, I understand, with one of its major tasks to do just that. I did not think that was an unrealistic timeframe; but, as it has turned out, it is an unrealistic timeframe. The Government obviously has absolutely no capacity to do that; so I support the removal of that paragraph, although again I stress that there is such a great need that I believe that this sort of open-ended approach to mental health legislation is totally unacceptable.

The third part of the motion is that the "recommendations from the report Balancing Rights (November 1990) constitute the basis for the new Act", and again I am exceedingly pleased that the Government has seen fit to support that.

Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, while these delays continue, the human rights of a number of Canberrans are badly affected by the Government's inaction in this area. It was certainly apparent to Brian Burdekin, the Federal Human Rights Commissioner, who said early last year that he believed that the evidence in the ACT shows very clearly that the mentally ill are still being treated like second- and third-class citizens and that they are not very high on the list of priorities. I think Brian Burdekin summed it up. It seems that the needs of the people who desperately need this piece of legislation - and the needs of their families, as Mr Humphries rightly said - are regarded as a low priority by this Government. That is totally unacceptable.

Madam Speaker, the needs of people with mental health problems and mental disorders vary greatly between individuals. They also vary at different times in an individual's life. A comprehensive range of mental health services must cater for the acute and longer-term treatment and care at the in-patient level and, as importantly, at the community level. Some groups in the community have special needs, and it is important that the planning and delivery of mental health services be sensitive to those needs and expectations. These people have the right to expectations, just like anybody else in the community. Unfortunately, these expectations have been dashed, and dashed repeatedly.

The recommendations of national policies - and I understand that the ACT is a signatory to the national mental health approach, which really does put us on the spot to do something in this area, and do something quickly - - -

Mr Berry: We have and we are.

MRS CARNELL: We have to take your word for it, because in reality we still do not see anything on the table. Mental health problems and mental health disorders affect one in five Australians at some point in their lives, and indirectly affect the lives of many others. Mental health is an important issue in this community and of critical concern to every health system in this country, in particular the ACT health system. I am appalled at the lack of action. There are people who write to all of us every day with heart-rending stories about what is happening to them.

Mr Berry: Send the letters up to me and we will write back to them and give them all the details. I have yet to see all these letters you get.


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