Suicide Prevention

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:26): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Hon. John Dawkins in relation to suicide prevention.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It was revealed during the recent National Suicide Prevention Week that the Construction Industry Training Board has cut to zero the funding it previously provided to MATES in Construction, which works to prevent suicide in the construction industry, given that men who work in the construction industry are twice as likely to commit suicide than males in other jobs. This follows the legislative reform of the board by minister Pisoni earlier this year, which enabled the minister to hand-pick the appointees to the board and removed the requirement for unions to be members of the board, noting that unions have been strong supporters of MATES in Construction and the excellent work they do.

The functions of the board, according to section 11(e) of the Construction Industry Training Fund Act, include promoting occupational health and safety within the building and construction industry through training. My question to the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention is: does the honourable member agree with minister Pisoni's view, stated on ABC radio last week, that contributing funding to MATES in Construction is not core business of the board?

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:27): I thank the honourable member for her question and her interest in suicide prevention. I understand that the Construction Industry Training Board recently released amendments to funding arrangements as a result of its revised annual training plan 2019-20. I am advised that the board has made changes to some funding arrangements to enable the payment of an additional apprentice incentive. These changes affect funding for the remainder of the financial year, effective from 1 October 2019.

Changes have been communicated to affected stakeholders over the past two weeks, including MATES in Construction, with their application for grant funding to the CITB for a number of programs being unsuccessful. The minister has scheduled a meeting with the chairman of MATES in Construction, Mr Michael Harper, as soon as he returns from business overseas, to discuss alternative funding opportunities, and I am hoping to be part of that meeting.

I have had a long association with MATES in Construction, probably more than just about any member of this parliament, I would say, and they do terrific work. This funding is a relatively small element of the work that MATES in Construction does. In fact, only yesterday, I was on a phone hook-up in relation to some suicides in a rural community. A representative of MATES in Construction was on that phone hook-up and provided some very, I think, beneficial advice and suggestions about what that organisation can do to support a particular business but also that particular rural community as a whole.

As I said, I have had a long association with MATES in Construction. I, like many others, was very concerned with the timing of the announcement, and that has been passed on from myself and on behalf of the Premier's Council for Suicide Prevention.