Legislative Council: Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Contents

Borderline Personality Disorder

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:38): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking questions of the Minister for Employment representing the Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse in relation to borderline personality disorder.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The Hon. Kelly Vincent, the Hon. Tammy Franks and I have repeatedly raised the issue of treatment, services and support for people living with borderline personality disorder and their family carers. The Hon. Kelly Vincent, in particular, over the past 4½ years has repeatedly used questions in this place to raise issues in relation to borderline personality disorder.

The honourable member has raised 24 questions; she has received two answers. I ask the minister to reiterate one of four unanswered questions asked on 28 February 2012: will the minister establish a specialist clinical ward within Adelaide for the treatment of BPD, given the high prevalence of it within South Australia? Secondly, to reiterate one of seven unanswered questions asked on 26 November 2013: when will the minister expand availability of dialectical behavioural therapy services for South Australians with BPD? Thirdly, to reiterate one of three unanswered questions asked on 24 September 2014: when will the report, an overview of current delivery of borderline personality disorder services in the public sector across South Australia, and a proposed way forward, be released?

Fourthly, to reiterate one of three unanswered questions asked on 10 February 2015: why did the South Australian government tender for social impact trials in relation to BPD support and outcomes when the state government is yet to action its own SA Health BPD document, written by experts in the field? And fifthly, is the government's failure to respond to questions on borderline personality disorder services indicative of the government's endemic lack of interest in people needing the services?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:40): I thank the honourable member for his questions. I am happy to take those away and refer them to the minister responsible in another place to see if there is more that can be added to the replies which he seeks.