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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 3 Hansard (26 March) . . Page.. 629 ..

MR BERRY: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. My question was clearly in relation to the provision of mental health services, of which hotel services, as described by Mrs Carnell, are part. Mrs Carnell has at her side the Mental Health Advisory Council. Knowing that changes to the management of Hennessy House and Watson Hostel would concern patients within those - - -

Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: Reference to the standing orders will show that supplementary questions must be asked without a preamble. Would you direct the member to ask his supplementary question.

MR SPEAKER: I uphold the point of order, Mr Kaine. Would you mind asking your supplementary question, Mr Berry.

MR BERRY: I ask the Minister to reel off who was consulted. Why was not the Mental Health Advisory Council consulted before the decision to change the arrangements at Hennessy House and Watson Hostel was pursued?

MR SPEAKER: I think we have the supplementary question.

MRS CARNELL: You have to despair at times at Mr Berry's questions. I will state it again. We have made no decisions whatsoever. What we have done is had initial discussions with the people that this approach might affect - the staff. Nothing more has happened. No decisions have been taken. But would it not be sensible to have discussions with the staff about changes in the way their workplaces are organised first, before you make decisions, before you go to wider consultation? We have not decided, and the staff have not decided, whether this is the appropriate approach; but we are willing to look at these sorts of options.

MR HIRD: My question is directed to the Attorney-General, Mr Humphries. I find it interesting, now that Ms Follett has been put out to pasture - I thought her shadow portfolios were Police, Attorney-General and Emergency Services - that her first media release was about local area planning in North Canberra. In it she contradicted her colleague Mr Wood who, of course, got the sack from planning for speaking his own mind about the Whitecross coup d'etat or the Whitecross doublecross or whatever. Could the Minister give me some information as to the situation as it stands now?

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank Mr Whitecross for that question - I am sorry; I thank Mr Hird for that question. You are so alike, I am sorry; it is hard to tell you apart sometimes. I saw a very curious media release from the former Leader of the Opposition headed, "Problems with LAPACs are the Liberals' own creation - Follett". That was a fairly rare event - a press release from Ms Follett.

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