Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 587 standing in my name for today.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That—

(a) there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health, no later than 3.30 pm on Wednesday, 11 February 2015, copies of the following National Mental Health Commission documents in relation to its Mental Health review, as referred to during the estimates hearing of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee on Wednesday, 22 October 2014:

(i) the preliminary report completed during February 2014, and

(ii) the interim report completed in June 2014; and

(b) the Senate not accept a public interest immunity claim by the Minister that tabling these documents would impact the Government's ability to properly respond to the Mental Health Review because:

(i) the production of these documents is necessary to allow people living with mental illness, their representative organisations and service providers to have an open and honest conversation about the future of the mental health system in Australia,

(ii) the Mental Health Review must be transparent for the community to have faith in the review outcomes,

(iii) there has been significant demand from the mental health sector, including consumers, for the reports to be made available, and

(iv) the more than 1 800 organisations and individuals that made submissions to the review have the right to see these reports.