Page 615 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 11 February 2009
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In her speech on this motion, the minister advised the Assembly that 80.5 per cent of ACT government spending on mental health was expended in the community through both public sector and community sector agencies. This is compared to a national average of 51.1 per cent. The ACT is the leading jurisdiction in Australia. It has the highest percentage of funding to the community mental health sector—7.3 per cent above the national average. That is something to be noted and I think it is a wonderful statistic.
Madam Assistant Speaker, the Stanhope Labor government announced a number of initiatives in the 2007-2008 budget, including the exciting capital asset development program. The initiatives in mental health include a new mental health acute in-patient unit, secure adult mental health in-patient unit, a new mental health assessment unit and the forward design of a mental health young persons unit. The rest of Australia should be following the ACT. Our Mental Health ACT has been noted as leading edge and this is a reputation that this government is proud of.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (12.00): I welcome the motion that has been brought before us this morning, because it is time to put on the record some of the disparity between what the Labor Party claims to be doing and what their policy says. I heard the minister attempt to interject that the government’s health policy was better than our health policy at the last election.
I would just like to concentrate on one line that I will quote from the Labor Party’s document “Canberra’s best team for the future” where it deals with mental health policy. On page 3 of the policy, reference is made to better community-based mental health services. The important thing here is that the Labor Party policy says “almost”:
Almost 30% of new funding will be allocated to supporting community-based services and will be allocated in consultation with consumers, carers and service providers to provide for the best possible integrated mental health services for our community.
So it is only 30 per cent of their new money. That is what they are promising.
Ms Gallagher: You are wrong.
MR SMYTH: Well, that is what it says. If your policy is wrong, stand up and disavow the policy. I have just read your policy.
Ms Gallagher: Well, there are two different commitments, Brendan.
MR SMYTH: The minister can seek leave to speak again if she wishes. This is as opposed to our policy, where we said we want to move towards 30 per cent of total mental health funding. We say that 30 per cent of total mental health funding would go to the community sector. I wish the Greens well in the GLA—the Greens-Labor alliance. I note that under the heading of health, there is a commitment that by 2012, 30 per cent of mental health funding should be allocated to the community sector for the delivery of services.
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