Page 3845 - Week 12 - Thursday, 30 October 2014
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In closing, I again put on record my thanks to the advisory council, for their support and guidance on this bill; to the officials within CIT, for their input; and to the officials within the directorate, for drafting this bill. I commend it to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Doszpot) adjourned to the next sitting.
Visitors
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: We have just adjourned debate on a bill in relation to the CIT, and I would especially welcome to their Assembly the certificate III students from the CIT adult migrant education program. Welcome.
Executive business—precedence
Ordered that executive business be called on.
Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Amendment Bill 2014
Debate resumed from 28 October 2014, on motion by Ms Gallagher:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Capital Metro) (11.19): Madam Deputy Speaker, I welcome this bill this morning, and I am pleased to speak on it from on my perspective as Attorney-General.
The bill outlines important reforms to the way mental health services are provided in the territory. In particular, it pays close regard to issues that protect people’s rights and their obligations in relation to this bill. The bill is the subject of very detailed and lengthy consideration by the Health and Justice and Community Safety directorates, in consultation with the broader community.
In particular, the bill has regard to those issues that need to be addressed in terms of the protection of people’s rights when they are subject to orders made by the Civil and Administrative Tribunal. These are important considerations that have been extensively worked through as part of the detailed public consultation process.
It is worth highlighting and commending the work of the officers of the Justice and Community Safety Directorate and the Health Directorate in the development of this legislation over an extensive period. The complexity and the difficulty of the issues that are faced, in particular the need to protect people’s wellbeing and protect their rights to self-autonomy and the capacity to make decisions that affect their own circumstances wherever possible, is, I believe, a very critical balance to be achieved.
It is also worth highlighting that the bill has seen significant engagement by the broader community. We have seen a range of organisations, including mental health groups, advocates, mental health consumers and those who work on our tribunals and other agencies, all of whom have been closely engaged in the development of this new bill. Their work, in particular, also needs to be recognised.
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