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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3800 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

It is very rare that we get these sorts of positives, and I just thought I would share this one with members. But it does reflect how important it is to have young people thinking about parliamentary processes, local government and so on. The work you do, Mr Speaker, in that area and, of course, the work of our education officer, Mardie Troth, is fantastic. I appreciate it. Let me say on the record: Thanks, Lyn. That really gave me a boost at the end of a sitting week.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (6.45), in reply: Mr Speaker, a bouquet for Mr Moore but a brickbat for me, I am afraid. During the adjournment debate yesterday, Mr Berry indicated that he had been made aware of someone trying to contact the Mental Health Crisis Service's crisis and assessment team and they were unable to get through because the phone had rung out twice. From the information Mr Berry provided, it is not possible to determine the telephone number that this person was calling, but I can provide the following general information: The two telephone numbers for the CAT team, the crisis and assessment team, of 1800 629 354 and 6205 1065 are monitored in relation to all incoming calls. Between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm on 5 November 1997 there were 40 calls recorded as being received by these numbers. Included in this number were three calls where the caller hung up before the operator had a chance to answer. These three callers rang for, respectively, 14 seconds, 58 seconds and 15 seconds. Telephones ring out at 90 seconds; so it is clear that none of those three calls had rung out. Only one of those three calls was between 12 noon and 2.00 pm. I think Mr Berry said that the caller had rung at lunchtime.

I would appreciate any further information Mr Berry has to offer about such matters. But, in the absence of any evidence that these calls were in fact made, I have to say that I would reaffirm my defence of the staff of the Mental Health Crisis Service. I think the 58-second call was probably a bit on the excessive side, but I do not think a call not answered after 15 seconds or 14 seconds is any matter to be critical about. Certainly, there is no evidence that any call has rung out. I hope that Mr Berry will choose his criticisms of staff of the ACT carefully in future, before he makes these allegations under parliamentary privilege.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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