The Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, notes that the new chair of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health is the Minister for Mental Health, Mr Mark Butler.
“Either Mr Butler could not find anyone to replace Professor John Mendoza who quit the council in disgust in June or he wants to take a ‘hands-on’ approach and steer the council on the government’s path which appears to be to do very little,” Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.
“South Australia’s Social Inclusion Commissioner, Monsignor David Cappo, has been appointed as deputy chair and while his experience is welcome, the Gillard Government must act now on its commitment to making mental health a second-term priority.
“I do hope that one of the first items on the agenda at the first of four planned meetings in 2011 is acting on the Coalition’s $1.5 billion plan to increase mental health services that has been passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“There are 14 eminent Australians on the advisory council which was established in 2008 as a Rudd Labor election commitment.
“Mr Butler is wrapping up another series of public consultations but this Government is already one of the best informed when it comes to mental health and as Professor John Mendoza has stated, is has more than a dozen reports from the advisory council and the 12 recommendations for immediate action from the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission.
“The millions of Australians and their families dealing with mental health issues would welcome positive moves on mental health now, not at some distant point in the future.
“Mr Butler will be judged on what he can do for them, not on how well he can run a meeting.”