Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Ministers statements: Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:08): I last week joined both the Minister for Mental Health and the minister for child protection to mark the one-year anniversary since Australia’s first and only royal commission into mental health handed down its final report. It was a very significant occasion where we not only commemorated or acknowledged the significant progress that we have made on each of the recommendations that were handed down in that final report—that 10-year blueprint to transform our mental health system, to acknowledge first of all that it is broken and then to build a new mental health system, one that works for clients and carers, one that is about health and wellbeing, one that is comprehensive and has the dignity and human rights that all of us ought to be afforded—

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Some do not support the process and the journey that we have been on, and they make that abundantly clear to Victorians through contributions like that. The key point is this—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will come to order.

Mr ANDREWS: The key point is this: $3.8 billion in additional investment, the biggest contribution to a new mental health system in our nation’s history. In proportionate terms, well, you could add up pretty much all the new dollars across the country from every state and the commonwealth and they would not equal $3.8 billion. Each and every recommendation will be delivered in full because every Victorian deserves access to the best possible mental health care. This is what the royal commission has told us. This is the journey we are on. We have made very significant progress in just the first 12 months. It is a great shame that some seem unwilling and unable to join us on this journey, but we will push on regardless because we are doing exactly what we said we would do: acknowledge the failures and build a new system for every Victorian.