Turner Judy: Mental Health Commission Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Turner Judy: Mental Health Commission Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:636;Page:7213] 
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I stand on behalf of United Future to speak in support of the first reading of the Mental Health Commission Amendment Bill. As the Maori Party member was keen to mention some of the fine staff who work for the commission I would also like to state that United Future is thrilled that Selwyn Katene is now the general manager of the Mental Health Commission. We believe he will be a great contributor to the work of the commission. 
This bill is pretty straightforward in that it restates the functions of the commission and adds some new functions to the list regarding the mandate under which it serves. First of all there are some general understandings about the commission needing to be independent. It is a client-focused honest broker that wants to make sure the interests of mental health patients are constantly advocated for and listened to. It is a place where people who have experienced mental health services and would like to suggest ways in which those services can be better delivered can contribute and send their ideas to someone who will listen seriously and take their advice. 
Obviously one of the key roles of the commission is advocacy. It also works as a facilitator helping organisations to collaborate their efforts more cohesively and communicating on that matter. Also one of the most important roles I have seen the commission working in is the area of communicating within the community and breaking down the areas of stigmatisation that people suffering from mental health problems often incur. 
One of the things we need to understand when considering the relevance of the commission is how essential its work is. I have read statistics that show that at any given time about 3 percent of our population is in need of mental health services. When we do the maths around what we currently deliver in mental health services we find only half that number are accessing help. That means there is a lot more work to be done. Certainly the last thing we need to have is a downgrading of a commission that was set up to make sure that the Government is constantly held to account by the people who most need that help and support. 
There are also some interesting ideas around stimulating innovation amongst policy makers and also around the ability to undertake research where that is considered helpful. I agree with the National Party about the fact that we want to see a real movement in mental health services towards better services in the primary health care area. I remember that when the Hon Annette King was Minister of Health she indicated that there was some funding in the pipeline for primary mental health care. It was on her “to do” list and high up on that list as part of the funding to primary health organisations. I am keen to hear the new Minister reiterate that commitment because I think it is an area that we currently do not do well in. Certainly primary health care in regard to this matter is really the fence at the top of the cliff but we need to see better service provision put in place. 
I do not think I will take any more of the House’s time on this matter other than to say we are very supportive of this first reading.