Page 1893 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 May 1990
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MR BERRY: Pull me up and it could cause you some difficulties.
MR SPEAKER: I believe you are anticipating discussion, Mr Berry. Please get onto something else.
MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, the adjournment debate is historically wide open as to the topics to be raised.
It is an issue of importance that Schizophrenia Awareness Week passed by last week and the Government opposite has not even mentioned the fact. It is as if it never happened. This Government has failed over and over again. It took Labor's repeated exposure of Minister Collaery's behaviour and the death of a mentally ill detainee to shock him into a position where he would agree to spend that money. The best the Minister could do was answer, yes, that facility would be built at the Belconnen Remand Centre, but admitted that there were no plans at all. It was another knee-jerk response to a tragedy. Mr Humphries announced that the Government had decided to save $150,000 by withdrawing funds targeted to redress the underfunding of mental health services in the ACT.
Mr Humphries: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. I refer you once again to standing order 59, which clearly indicates that a member may not anticipate the discussion on any subject appearing on the notice paper. There is on the notice paper a clear discussion about the $150,000 service to which Mr Berry refers. Clearly, Mr Berry is in breach of standing order 59 and ought to be asked to withdraw comments and not debate the issues on that matter.
MR SPEAKER: Your objection is upheld there, Mr Humphries. Mr Berry, I believe that you are in contempt of the standing orders by proceeding in that manner, so please divert to something else.
MR BERRY: This Minister failed to make any comment about Schizophrenia Awareness Week and has failed to provide services to those people as a result of the desperate plea of the mentally ill in the ACT. This Minister and this Government are an absolute disgrace to Canberra and will be so regarded by those who care for the mentally ill throughout Australia.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Assembly adjourned at 5.32 pm
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