❓ Opposition asks why $6.2M of suicide prevention funding was unspent despite ongoing suicides. Minister explains the community-led strategy takes time to implement, hence the underspending.
AnsweredQoN 204Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGY
I note the details of recurrent expenditure excesses and new items for the 2009–10 financial year tabled in the house today. (1) Can the minister explain why there is a $6.2 million saving from the $13 million WA suicide prevention strategy? (2) On what basis was this money saved, given that, apart from the other suicides across the state, there have been no fewer than 11 suicides since October 2010 in the Kimberley region alone? (3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON
I note the details of recurrent expenditure excesses and new items for the 2009–10 financial year tabled in the house today. (1) Can the minister explain why there is a $6.2 million saving from the $13 million WA suicide prevention strategy? (2) On what basis was this money saved, given that, apart from the other suicides across the state, there have been no fewer than 11 suicides since October 2010 in the Kimberley region alone? (3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(1) Can the minister explain why there is a $6.2 million saving from the $13 million WA suicide prevention strategy? (2) On what basis was this money saved, given that, apart from the other suicides across the state, there have been no fewer than 11 suicides since October 2010 in the Kimberley region alone? (3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(2) On what basis was this money saved, given that, apart from the other suicides across the state, there have been no fewer than 11 suicides since October 2010 in the Kimberley region alone? (3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(1) Can the minister explain why there is a $6.2 million saving from the $13 million WA suicide prevention strategy? (2) On what basis was this money saved, given that, apart from the other suicides across the state, there have been no fewer than 11 suicides since October 2010 in the Kimberley region alone? (3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(2) On what basis was this money saved, given that, apart from the other suicides across the state, there have been no fewer than 11 suicides since October 2010 in the Kimberley region alone? (3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(3) How can the minister claim to be defending the interests of people with mental illness when she gives their money, which should be spent on services for them, back to Treasury? Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
Hon HELEN MORTON replied: I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
I thank the honourable member for this question. (1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
(1)–(3) As I have mentioned on a few occasions now, the suicide prevention strategy was established after we came into government. The strategy was launched about 12 months after that and the work commenced since then. In that process, the work that has been undertaken has been to establish a process for distributing that funding to communities. The member should not shake her head, because she has to understand this sooner or later. The Labor Party never had a suicide prevention strategy. There was no suicide prevention strategy in place when we came to government. It is not a matter of just being able to allocate $13 million in a very quick time frame. The strategy is based on two elements. One is that communities will develop community action plans that are developed, owned and initiated by individual communities. It is not a matter of the state imposing something on a community; communities will initiate, seek and develop those community action plans. The second element of the strategy, which I am thrilled to be able to talk about, is that organisations and corporations will develop suicide prevention strategies for their employees and workers. The work needed to develop and process those strategies in those communities and organisations will not happen overnight. The amount of funding that has been underspent has been underspent because it is taking longer than we would have liked. There is no doubt about that. I would love to wave a magic wand and have 50 communities in the state with suicide prevention strategies right now and 50 organisations in the state running suicide prevention strategies throughout their workforce but the work that is required to put that in place takes more than six months.
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