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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2488 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

Imagine that! If we put ourselves in that same position-in a societal black hole where we did not know for some time what went on outside of the walls of a detention centre-it could well destroy our sanity. Research also found:

The physical health of TPV entrants has been undermined by detention experiences, post traumatic stress disorder symptoms and bureaucratic problems. TPV entrants experience significant mental health difficulties.

the denial of services to TPV entrants has led to social isolation;

the denial of English language tuition by the Commonwealth is a major barrier to TPV entrants' participation in society;

the capacity of TPV entrants to obtain employment is severely affected by their lack of English language skills and the Commonwealth's denial of employment assistance;

unattached minors experience unique psychosocial issues due to their age and service provision arrangements and their mental health was influenced by trauma, separation from family, anxiety, ethnicity, and physical health;

the Commonwealth's rhetoric and policy position on TPV entrants has created tensions within the community;

anecdotal evidence collected during the study reveals that the media has had a significant negative impact on the settlement of TPV entrants;

I moved this motion because I believe that we, as leaders in our community, must adopt a more positive approach. Our views on these issues are important in the context of sending positive messages to the community. The motion that I have moved will give us an opportunity to send such a positive message.

I said earlier that the Queensland government conducted a comprehensive inquiry into issues facing refugees in Queensland. We would not be able to identify the extent of the problems facing refugees in the ACT without conducting a similar inquiry. I know that a significant number of services are provided for refugees in the ACT-an issue to which the Chief Minister will refer later in his contribution to this debate.

After I, and a number of other people, had spoken at the weekend rally to which I referred earlier, somebody came up to me and said, "Why do you not move a motion in the Assembly? It is timely to extend the hand of friendship in the ACT. A declaration that the ACT is refugee friendly would be a nice thing to do. It would be a good, solid message."That is the sort of message that we would expect to come from this place.

At the rally on Sunday I, on behalf of the Legislative Assembly, took the liberty of welcoming refugees to the ACT. I trust that members will endorse that action, as I did not receive their prior approval. It is important that we, in our leadership role, take every opportunity to transmit positive messages to people-to community members as well as to refugees who have sought asylum and who wish to make a future in this

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