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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (3 December) . . Page.. 4439 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

make sure that we have a greater community focus in our critical care end of mental health. We plan to move to a situation where a patient is, I suppose, looked after right through the system, whether they happen to be at home, in a hostel or in hospital. That means that there needs to be quite significant reform in the way we do things.

The fact is that there is no operational plan for reform of the hospital. If there were one, it would need to be worked up with the staff. Certainly, over time, there will need to be one; but the way we started with mental health reform was with a 24-hour crisis service. We will move through the system, from the community backwards. Certainly, the staff will be involved in any changes that happen. It seems that some are not willing to accept that there simply is no hidden agenda here - no hidden agenda, no reduction in bed numbers. All we want to do is make sure we have a better mental health system that looks after the people that need it. I believe that will cost the ACT more money over the next couple of years. I think there are some facilities that are lacking at the moment, and they are certainly things that we intend to address.

MS REILLY: My question is to the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, this week's colour advertisement for your Government in the Canberra Chronicle contains an article on mental health. That article contains the following claim:

A substantial reorganisation has taken place and the improvements are already evident. 1997/98 will see further improvements.

Chief Minister, considering that you have taken the unions to the Industrial Relations Commission because they asked for information about the new changes, does this mean that the reorganisation has not yet taken place? Does that mean that the advertisement is wrong again?

MRS CARNELL: Again, I have not actually read the article. This is not advertising.

Ms Reilly: It says so on it.

Ms McRae: It says "Advertising Supplement".

MR SPEAKER: Order! Be very careful.

MRS CARNELL: These are excerpts from the annual report. They are for the information of the people of Canberra, and it is information that is contained in the annual report, as I understand it.

Ms Reilly: It says on the top "Advertising Supplement".

MR SPEAKER: Order! If you want to look at the pictures I suggest you go out into the lobby.

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