Turner Judy: Mental Health Commission Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Turner Judy: Mental Health Commission Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:641;Page:11008] 
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I stand on behalf of United Future to speak in support of the third reading of the Mental Health Commission Amendment Bill. I would like to support the comments of the speaker from New Zealand First Barbara Stewart and pick up on some of the issues she raised. 
We need to make sure that all the stakeholders are catered for and all opinions are considered in this hugely important area. I recently heard this very interesting statement: “A just society should not just be measured by how it cares for the most vulnerable members but also how it attends to the concerns of those who support and care for vulnerable people.” I believe this is a challenge for the ongoing life of the Mental Health Commission. I am not on the Health Committee that heard the submissions but I have certainly gathered that a number of submitters were family members of mental health patients who were not happy with the performance of the Mental Health Commission. Parents spoke of their grave fears during the process of deinstitutionalisation concerning their children who were given to self-harm or spoke of great fears about their children’s serious episodes where other people’s well-being was at risk. 
I want to mention something historical and it may be a challenge for the National Party because in the last Parliament— 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Oh no! 
JUDY TURNER 
: It is all right; just listen carefully. In the last Parliament a National member Dr Lynda Scott had a member’s bill that has not to my knowledge been picked up on by anybody in that caucus and I think it should be found and looked at. Her amendment bill would have ensured the opinions of family members who were primary caregivers for mental health patients were listened to and considered in the treatment of patients. These people said they often felt they were used and abused in the system yet were relied upon heavily. Lynda Scott had a very good proposal which I would love to see somebody from the National side of the House recognise pick up and advance and put it into the ballot. 
I believe that the commission needs to use this extension of time to better engage with families who feel both used and ignored at times by the health system. In fact I suggest the commission needs to ensure that its representation reflects all those who are affected by mental health issues and that includes families and support people. Although United Future is supporting this third reading we believe that those who fear that the commission has been ideologically captured and is a closed door to family stakeholders need to be reassured that their voice their expertise and their contribution are valued and considered. Although moving to new models of care is positive many families have fears and we should not be dismissive of their concerns or trivialise them. 
After the second reading of the bill a mother rang me and described her fears based on firsthand experience of being abused by her mentally unwell son. She feels she was not listened to and is still not assured that her son is properly supervised and that other people are safe from harm by him. Speaking as someone who has personally supported mental health clients and has had them live in my home for extended periods of time I know firsthand both the potential for a normal life that exists but also how quickly a person’s mental health can deteriorate and the carer can be desperate for back-up. I have also experienced firsthand being treated very badly by mental health professionals when trying to secure that help. I have been at times treated like the enemy in the situation; but the same people were very quick to ring me and ask me to come and pick the person up from hospital when he or she was ready to be discharged. My opinions as the process deteriorated before my eyes did not count one iota. This is the concern that people have. I believe it is something the Mental Health Commission needs to give more attention to. 
United Future supports the work of the commission. It does some very fine work in an advocacy role and we think this is a base that could be better covered. We encourage the commission with the extended time it has now been given to do such work.