579 Tuesday, 4 April 1995 THE SPEAKER (Mr Clarko) took the Chair at 2.00 pm, and read prayers. PETITION - HEALTH SERVICES, CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND CONCILIATION SYSTEM DR GALLOP (Victoria Park - Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [2.02 pm]: I present the following petition - To: The Honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We, the undersigned petitioners call upon the State Government to legislate for an independent, accessible and structured complaints and conciliation system for consumers of health services as a matter of urgency. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will give this matter earnest consideration and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. The petition bears 104 signatures and I certify that it conforms to the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly. The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be brought to the Table of the House. [See petition No 29.] PETITION - STATE SCHOOL TEA CHERS UNION, INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE MS WARNOCK (Perth) [2.03 pm]: I present the following petition - To: The Honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We the undersigned call on the Minister for Education to immediately resolve the industrial dispute with the State School Teachers Union, so that students at Mt Lawley Senior High School are not denied learning experiences provided through outside school hours activities, such as outdoor education, musical and theatrical performance, sporting carnivals, camps, excursions, school balls, graduation ceremonies, inter-school competitions, and other important development opportunities. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will give this matter earnest consideration and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. The petition bears 408 signatures and I certify that it conforms to the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly. The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be brought to the Table of the House. [See petition No 30.] PETITION - LIVE SHEEP EXPORT TRADE MR OSBORNE (Bunbury) [2.04 pm]: I present the following petition - To: The Honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. The petition of certain residents, business people and property owners in the Bunbury and Eaton areas of Western Australia, draws to the attention of the House - That we are strongly opposed to any move to operate a live sheep export trade form the Port of Bunbury on the grounds that the prevailing weather conditions would cause the strong, unpleasant sheep odours emanating from the industry to 580 580ASSEMBLYJ adversely affect surrounding residential areas and the central business district, and would have a detrimental impact on our lifestyle. In addition the transportation of the sheep will cause problems of smell, dust and noise. Your petitioners therefore request the House to - Rule out Bunbury as a possible site for the live sheep export trade. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will give this matter earnest consideration and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. The petition bears 20 signatures and 1 certify that it conforms to the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly. The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be brought to the Table of the House. [See petition No 31.] PETITION - EUTHANASIA MRS HENDERSON (Thornlie) [2.05 pml]: I present the following petition - To: The Honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We, the undersigned object to any proposal which seeks to legalise euthanasia. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will give this matter earnest consideration and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. The petition bears 138 signatures and I certify that it conforms to the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly. The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be brought to the Table of the House. [See petition No 32.1 PETITION - HEAVY HAULAG;E TRAFFIC, FREMANTLE PORT MR SHAVE (Melville) [2.06 pm 1: 1present the following petition - To: The Honourable the Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia in Parliament assembled. We, the undersigned, request that The Minister for Transport implement measures to ensure that the sign which reads "Fremantle Port" at the corner of Stock Road and Leach Highway advising heavy haulage traffic to turn into Leach Highway is adhered to. As residents we are most concerned at the volume of heavy haulage traffic in Marmion Street travelling to and from the Port. instead of using the recommended route along Leach Highway. This increase in traffic is causing distress to residents who are suffering through the volume and speed of the heavy haulage traffic using Marmion Street. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will give this matter earnest consideration and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. The petition bears 215 signatures and I certify that it conforms to the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly. The SPEAKER: I direct that the petition be brought to the Table of the House. [See petition No 33.] VISITORS AND GUESTS - VICTORIAN STATE PARLIAMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDING COMMITTEE MEMB ERS THE SPEAKER (Mr Clarko): I advise members that today in the Speaker's Gallery are seven members of the Victorian State Parliament Economic Development Standing [Tuesday, 4 April 1995] 5818 Committee. Their chairman is Hon Gerald Ashman MLC. I warmly welcome them to our Parliament today. [Applause.] MINISTERIAL STATEMENT - MINISTER FOR HEALTH Mental Health Services MR KIERATH (Riverton - Minister for Health) [2.08 pm]: When I became Minister for Health I sought an urgent appraisal of the entire mental health situation in this State. I was not impressed with what I found, and I repeat now what I said three weeks ago: There is a crisis in mental health in this State. This crisis is not caused by a shortage of facilities, but by the shortage of psychiatrists. This problem is not restricted to Western Australia. There is an Australia-wide shortage and it is no better exemplified than at Bentley. The Mill Street centre at Bentley has 50 beds; however, only 30 have been available because of the shortage of psychiatrists. The hospital has just recruited three psychiatrists. The first consultant starts tomorrow. As a result, available beds will increase immediately from 30 to 36. When a full time locumn joins the hospital on 18 April there will be a further increase from 36 to 40 beds. When the third specialist takes up his appointment on 25 April the number of available beds will jump from 40 to 50. The unit will then be at full strength. Fremantle Hospital has 50 adult beds. Eleven days ago only 42 were operational. As a matter of urgency, the Government approved an additional $135 000 to meet a possible shortfall in funding for nursing sisters. Now all 50 beds have been brought back on stream. Until recently, the South Metropolitan Psychiatric Service, which administers Fremantle Hospital, had been operating with 4.6 psychiatrists instead of the required seven. That figure is now up to 5.5. At Graylands Hospital the position with secure beds - those for involuntary patients - is critical, and it is working at seven above the normal capacity. At the Frankland high security centre at Graylands there is an acute shortage. Only 22 of the 30 beds are operating. Last Friday Graylands had only five vacancies, Bentley was full, and Fremantle had only two beds available. The problem was overcome because psychiatrists and administrators combined to provide flexibility within the hospital system. I negotiated four extra beds at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and a potentially difficult weekend passed quietly. The Government has moved to recruit more psychiatrists. It has had a good response to an advertising campaign in North America and Britain. The director of the Bentley centre leaves for overseas today to interview those applicants. Mental health is not an area for political point scoring. It is suffice to say that this shortage of specialists has been coming for many years. Government funding went into bricks and mortar, and not enough went on maintaining specialist staff levels. The Government needs to get on with attracting these much needed professionals. I am pleased to report that the mental health task force has met regularly and that already a great number of constructive ideas have been presented. I assure the House that the mental health services in this State will remain on an emergency footing to accommodate all new patients and to provide them with the best treatment and care available. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT - MINISTER FOR HOUSING Aboriginal Home Ownership Scheme MR PRINCE (Albany - Minister for Housing) [2.11 pm]: As Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Housing I am delighted to inform the House of a significant home ownership initiative for Aboriginal people which will be managed by Aboriginal people. Homeswest has one home ownership loan scheme - Real Start - which is open to all sections of the community. In the past, Aboriginal people have been given priority assistance when applying for Homeswest loans. A recent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission report into indigenous housing needs has highlighted how few 582 [ASSEMBLY] Aboriginal people own their home. The Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody also highlighted the same problem.- A combination of factors, including the Federal Government's decision to cease the First Home Owners scheme in August 1990 and the requirement of a 5 per cent deposit in addition to establishment fees under the ATS IC-run Aboriginal purchase scheme, has left many applicants unable to meet the criteria needed to get help from ATSIC.