Page 1892 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 May 1990
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Mental Health
MR BERRY (5.26): Earlier on today there was discussion about the distortion of figures by this Government. The issue of ethics was also dodged by the Government by ensuring that the time for private members' business was exhausted. This Government is unethical in many of the ways that it operates and of course we have focused on that in the last day or so in relation to - - -
Mr Collaery: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. I refer to standing order 59, which states that a member may not anticipate discussion of any subject which appears on the notice paper.
MR BERRY: I withdraw it, to make it easy.
Mr Collaery: I believe that Mr Berry has made clear that, having missed his debate this morning, he wishes to use adjournment time.
MR BERRY: I withdraw that. This Government opposite is a government of hypocrisy.
Mr Humphries: You opposed the use of that word earlier today. Now you are using it yourself. It is a double standard, is it not?
MR BERRY: Well, the standard is set, and we will use it to death. It is a government of hypocrisy, a government without morality. I was taken to task on that one before. Does anybody want to do it again?
Mr Humphries: Well, what about scruples, compassion?
MR BERRY: It has not any of those either. This comes into focus because last week was Schizophrenia Awareness Week in the ACT and there has not been a word by the Minister for Health in relation to mental health services as a result of a very important week passing in the ACT as it relates to the delivery of mental health services in the Territory. This Government has shown a sneering contempt for the delivery of mental health services. In the first place, it took Labor's repeated exposure - - -
Mr Humphries: What a load of rubbish!
MR BERRY: You are not getting off free - take your pill. It took repeated exposure of Minister Collaery's failure to spend budget funds and the tragic death of a mentally ill detainee to shock the Government into any signs of action to spend money already targeted for the mentally ill.
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Under the standing orders clearly Mr Berry is anticipating a debate later on, tomorrow, or whenever it might occur. Under standing order 59 he ought not to be transgressing this issue at this stage.
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