Page 3519 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 12 September 2017
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looks and operates on the ground from next year is a key focus of mine for the 2017-18 financial year.
I present the following paper:
ACT Office for Mental Health—Establishment—Ministerial statement, 12 September 2017.
I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (11.13): Just briefly, I note that this is Suicide Prevention Week and that this is a statement which is very short on detail and very long on aspiration. There are only a few words in this statement and there are no actions. I think that, as the minister, Mr Rattenbury must be somewhat embarrassed to bring forward a statement like this in Suicide Prevention Week, when he says that this is his highest priority. All the time that I have been the shadow minister for health I have been told that this is the minister’s highest priority, but we see no action in this place.
I ask the question: the minister says that he has recently written to key stakeholders and partners to provide the outcomes of the desktop model review. As the shadow minister for health, I have not received a copy of that. I would have thought that perhaps members of this place might be key stakeholders in such a discussion. I have been overseas, but since I have come back I have not seen that. If I have received it and it has been overlooked in my office, I apologise to the minister. But if I have not received it I think it would be appropriate for at least the shadow minister and other members in this place to receive such a consultation document.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Community Services and Social Inclusion, Minister for Disability, Children and Youth, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (11.15): I welcome Minister Rattenbury’s update on progress to date and future plans for the establishment of the ACT office for mental health and reiterate his statement that mental health and suicide prevention are continued priorities for the ACT government.
In his statement Minister Rattenbury rightly acknowledges the need for appropriate consultation with people with lived experience, their carers and families, as well as advocates and service providers. In his statement Minister Rattenbury noted his four key objectives for the development of the office for mental health.
I briefly want to highlight two of the objectives and how they align and interact with my responsibilities as Minister for Disability, Children and Youth and with the work of the Office for Disability—specifically Minister Rattenbury’s objectives of ensuring improved coordination of services and facilities, and that the best possible mental health and wellbeing services are available for all Canberrans to lead a meaningful and contributing life.
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