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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Thursday, 11 March 2004) . . Page.. 1095 ..

I have talked about the design of sight lines and so on as being really important. There is also the question about the currency of the treatment and care plan. I understand from speaking to consumers that this came up at the forum that was held to commemorate Bob’s death. People who spoke at the forum raised the question of whether we are really seeing a plan developed which involves consumers, carers and other health workers, where there is a real focus placed on early warning signs and so on.

There were also issues around the coronial process, and I do not know if they have been fixed up—issues such as the fact that the process took two years. Very serious consideration has to be given to the devastating impact that has on people who were involved with a person who has died. I have witnessed firsthand the impact on people of not being able to experience any closure for over two years. There were some delays that resulted from the reluctance of people within Health to speak to the coronial process, and that is already well understood here. But I still am not sure whether that has been dealt with, so I hope that is also in the government’s report back to the committee.

My final comment is that it is critical to work with the carers and people involved with people who have a mental illness, because they are often the ones who know best what is going on. I know the government have said that they are working on that and they have got different forums. I am sorry to say that I am still not hearing that there is real respect for this role in some circumstances but I have been told that that is improving. As I said, I do not have time to go through all of the other issues—triage, CAT teams and so on—that were mentioned in the Mann-LaRoche and Patterson reports, which have to be addressed in a detailed response from the government.

MRS BURKE (4.09): Firstly I will address some of the comments by Mr Corbell. He stated that mental health was a priority of this Labor government. If Mr Corbell insists on quoting from the national report on health, I suggest that he should look at the correct page and the correct references. He would see there very clearly the true picture. That is that under the Follett government spending on mental health was at its lowest point, but perhaps he does not want to see that or read that. The Liberals increased funding and it has kept on growing ever since. Another thing the minister said which opened my eyes wide was in regard to the forensic unit. Certainly, for humanitarian reasons it would make sense to have such a unit within the ACT. The Hunter Area Health Service is a long way from Canberra—north of Newcastle—and to send forensic mental health clients there is really not acceptable.

I applaud the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Smyth, for bringing forward this issue today, as it is an issue that we need to keep out in the public arena. We cannot let the state of the mental health system in the ACT fade into the background, given the Labor government’s commitment to mental health. That is all good, and I am sure that the government will see that it is all good, too. My focus will be on and around public housing. I will outline the basis of my argument as follows. ACT Housing policy is not adequately addressing mental illness concerns. ACT Housing policy is not taking into account well enough national guidelines for mental health outcomes.

Many ACT multi-unit housing complexes make mental health outcomes worse by not adequately addressing dual-diagnosis strategies, for example. It is interesting to note that the plan that was put out by the former Liberal government, the 10-year plan dated 1

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