Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

What those on the other side do not really want to come to grips with is that this government is addressing the significant issue of mental health. We have committed, as I said, $2.2 billion over the next five years, including $1.5 billion in new measures in the budget. The reforms will focus on delivering the services that have the best chance of improving the lives of thousands of Australians. I encourage those on the other side to agree that this package is a significant advancement for mental health reform in this country. It provides more intensive support services, better coordin­ating those services for people with severe illness. It targets supports to areas in comm­unities. But, most importantly, it is simply wrong to say that there is only the amount that the opposition are trying to say is in this package. Over four years it delivers— (Time expired)