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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-06-05 Daily Xml
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Mental Health Services

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:47): Further supplementary: the minister highlighted that it would have no impact on the emergency department, but is it not the role of a mental health service to keep people out of the emergency department? If you are cutting 25 per cent from their funding, how will it not have any impact on the emergency department?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:48): I need to do this slowly because obviously—there would only be an impact on emergency departments through this transfer of funding from state government—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Mr President, I am just wondering whether that's the next question or whether I should answer that one first.

The PRESIDENT: I would prefer that you didn't respond to the Leader of the Opposition's commentary and showed courtesy to the Hon. Ms Bourke. Just answer the question.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Okay, slowly for the Hon. Ms Bourke. We currently have state-funded mental health programs, which are providing psychosocial support to a number of South Australians. As they become eligible for NDIS funding, it was always the intention of your government's NDIS plan that the funding would transfer—

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Point of order, Mr President: I wasn't aware that you, as the President, were a government with an NDIS plan.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I take the point, Mr President. I certainly should be directing my answer through you, and I will do so. I think the point I would like to make to you, Mr President, is that the Hon. Ms Bourke needs to understand that state government-funded psychosocial services provide services to both people who are NDIS eligible and those who are not.

As clients transfer from state government-funded programs to NDIS programs—the funding was always intended to transfer. As the clients transfer from state government-funded programs to the federal NDIS programs, their funding will follow them. We are working to ensure that the transition is smooth and that the commitments of—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke—please don't have a conversation with the minister, the Hon. Ms Lensink—the minister is attempting to answer your—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke, the minister is attempting—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Lensink, you are not assisting me either. The Hon. Ms Bourke, please listen to the answer.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The commitment of both the state and the federal governments in the NDIS agreement is to continuity of support. We will strive to achieve that. As we achieve that, people will continue to get the mental health services that they are currently receiving, possibly in a different form but still the commitment is to continuity of support.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The honourable member—not the Leader of the Opposition; I am referring to the Hon. Ms Bourke—interjects about cutting funding. The rant continues.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Point of order, Mr President: the member is defying your rulings by referring to interjections time and time again—

The PRESIDENT: He hasn't—no, he is just—

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —and such disrespectful behaviour really ought not be tolerated, Mr President.

The PRESIDENT: Leader of the Opposition, you press the point too hard. Minister, please—

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: What is your ruling on that?

The PRESIDENT: The minister was incorporating the interjection and seeking to respond to it. The minister is entitled to do that but I prefer that he doesn't and addresses the question directly.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President. As we work to ensure continuity of support, our clients should still be continuing to receive the care that they need and it is therefore my hope and aspiration that there will be no impact on emergency departments.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hanson, a supplementary?

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Just wait there, the Hon. Mr Hanson, until your front bench behaves.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Now you may proceed, the Hon. Mr Hanson, with your supplementary, I assume.

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