Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Nash. I refer the minister to the Prime Minister's pre-election promise that 'No cuts to health means no cuts to mental health'. Given the burden of mental illness in rural and remote Australia, particularly Western Australia, can the minister guarantee that there will be no cuts to front-line services and coordinated care?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for her question. The government has been very clear that we will honour all our election commitments. We have said that consistently and we have been very clear in doing so. This government recognises the importance of mental health; indeed, that is why we have set up the Mental Health Commission.

It is vitally important for this nation that we get the economy back under control. We will repair the budget but we will do so in ways that are entirely consistent with our election commitments. Compared to those opposite, Mr President, this side of the chamber will govern responsibly and ensure that we deliver a budget that this nation needs to get it back on track. It might have escaped—

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. The minister has gone through half her time. The question related to guarantees about cuts to mental health frontline services and coordinated care.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I believe the minister is addressing the question, and the minister still has one minute and three seconds to answer the question.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's vision is for a sustainable health system that delivers quality health outcomes for all Australians and that includes mental health. The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate might not like the answer that I am giving but I am being very clear in laying out what this government will deliver and, when it comes to mental health, we will be delivering to people across the nation. It seems to have escaped those on the other side that every taxpayer dollar spent is a dollar that taxpayers have earned.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! On my left and on my right.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, again my point of order is on direct relevance. My point of order relates to the specific question asked of the minister, which is about cuts to frontline services and coordinated care in mental health.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot ask the minister to answer the question in a particular way or tell the minister how to answer the question. The minister still has 23 seconds remaining to address the question. There is no point of order.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In fact, it is this government and not the previous government that is going to deliver frontline services. It is this health minister that has focused very clearly on the delivery of frontline services and that includes the delivery of mental health.

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to the Partners in Recovery program which provides coordinated clinical support to people with severely disabling persistent mental illness, including in regional areas. I also refer to her answer last Thursday where she refused to rule out any cuts to funding this important service. Given the minister has now had a week to read her briefing pack, will she now rule out any cuts to Partners in Recovery in order to provide certainty to the individuals and their families who rely on the program?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can reiterate for the chamber that this government is absolutely committed to the delivery of mental health services right across the nation. Those of us on this side of the chamber know that it is this government that will do that. The Partners in Recovery program will be assessed in the context of both the national mental health commission and the review of mental health programs, as well as the review of Medicare Locals. We make no apology for delivering good policy outcomes for this nation. We are going to do that in a sensible, methodical and measured way. We are going to make sure—unlike the previous government—that when it comes to health we make informed decisions and that goes to the delivery of mental health services across the nation. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Let's see how we go with this one. Why won't the government release the Commission of Audit until after the Western Australian Senate election? What cuts to rural and regional mental health services is the government hiding?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There seems to be some repetition in the questions coming from those opposite, but I thank the Senator for her question. The government has been very clear about the process of the Commission of Audit. The interim report has been received. We are yet to receive the final report, and that will be considered in due course. Those senators opposite would realise, if they had been listening to previous answers from this side, that consideration of reports provided to government—

Senator Cameron interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cameron.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Consideration of reports provided to government has occurred not only in this government but also in the previous one. I refer to the report of the Henry tax review which the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate said took six months—(Time expired)