MENTAL HEALTH BILL

Final Stages

The Legislative Council agreed to the amendment made by the House of Assembly to the Legislative Council's amendment No. 14 in the bill and insisted on its amendment No. 24 to which the House of Assembly had disagreed.

Consideration in committee.

The Hon. J.D. LOMAX-SMITH: I move:

That the House of Assembly no longer insist on its disagreement to amendment No. 24.

The government is prepared to accept amendment No. 24 on harbouring made in another place by the opposition. Whilst still opposed to the measure which may criminalise family members of mental health patients, particularly those from non-English speaking and indigenous backgrounds, the expeditious passing of this bill is vital if the government's significant reform of mental health services is to progress. The stakeholders who vehemently opposed the harbouring amendment understand that the government supported their position and that the responsibility for any possible negative outcomes resulting from the amendment's inclusion does not rest with the government.

The Mental Health Bill is the basis for a number of very important reforms to the mental health system and it is vital that we progress this agenda. The Mental Health Bill provides a contemporary framework for the provision of mental health services and is central to the reforms currently underway in the mental health system. It will enable people in rural and regional South Australia to be admitted to and treated in limited treatment centres. It will enable medical practitioners and authorised health professionals to be able to consider community treatment orders as a first option in treatment. It will also enable South Australia to have a chief psychiatrist with the necessary powers to ensure that the mental health system is both accountable and transparent in its functioning.

By accepting the amendment, the government is ensuring that these important reforms, and the many other reforms currently being carried out in the mental health system, are not held up any longer. I would particularly like to thank those members on the opposite side in another place for the support that they have shown for the vast majority of this important bill. I also thank the many stakeholders who have been involved in the development of the bill.

Mr WILLIAMS: I am delighted to hear that the government has agreed to accept this amendment. I take this opportunity to make the point that the other place quite often makes worthwhile amendments to legislation and, in fact, improves legislation. Only this morning I said—as I have said on a number of occasions—that, quite often, legislation which has been in gestation for many months (if not years) comes to this place and is rushed through very rapidly. We often have to rely on the other place to make judicious amendments to ensure that South Australia is subjected to the best possible law that the parliament can provide. I again commend the government for accepting this particular amendment. It is just a pity that it did not accept the other 20-odd amendments proposed by the opposition in the other place.

Motion carried.