Debates Day 3 - Thursday 21 October 2010
Parliamentary Record 15
Debates for 11th Assembly 2008 - 2012; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 11th Assembly 2008 - 2012
2010-10-21
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
English
Debates
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
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DEBATES - Thursday 21 October 2010 These are the people I meet in the Northern Territory - excited people who bring their families here and say it is so much better in Darwin than Melbourne: Melbourne was really starting to get us down; the kids can grow up free here. They can run around. There are great facilities. The schools are good. Maybe the member for Sanderson should meet this guy. Go and say gday to him and ask him how he finds Darwin. You will not get doom and gloom; it is not safe to walk down the streets, you cannot take the dogs for a walk, the missus cannot go for a jog. This is someone I met this lunchtime who said he wished he had made the move years ago. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am really pleased to say the governments planning for a marine supply base is on track. It is another example of our determination to expand our economy, provide opportunities for Territorians and Territory business people, jobs for Territorians, and an expansion of our university - looking forward to the future as opposed to the CLP looking to the past wishing things were the way they were 20 years ago. Motion agreed to; statement noted. TABLED PAPER Standing Orders Committee Fifth Report to the Eleventh Assembly Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I table the Standing Orders Committee Fifth Report to the Eleventh Assembly, including the Report to the Assembly on the Reference to the Committee dated 18 August 2010 relating to Estimates Committee Process for 2011, Report on Right of Reply, Amendment to Notice Paper and Standing Order 90 - Routine, and Amendment to Standing Order 118 - Replies. MOTION Adopt Paper Standing Orders Committee - Fifth Report to the Eleventh Assembly Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly adopt the recommendations. Motion agreed to. MOTION Note Paper Standing Orders Committee - Fifth Report to the Eleventh Assembly Dr BURNS (Leader of Government Business): Madam Deputy Speaker, I move that the Assembly take note of the report, and that I have leave to continue my remarks at a later date. Leave granted. Debate adjourned. MATTER OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Department of Health Alleged Unlawful Detention of Voluntary Patients Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER: Honourable members, the Speaker has received the following letter from the member for Port Darwin. Dear Madam Speaker I seek to raise an issue of definite public importance today regarding the continued use of unlawful detention by the Northern Territory Health department against citizens of the Northern Territory. Yours truly, John Elferink, Member for Port Darwin. Is the proposed discussion supported? It is supported. I call on the member for Port Darwin. Mr ELFERINK (Port Darwin): Madam Deputy Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their support. I spoke in the adjournment debate last night about this issue. To remind members, my concerns deal with pages 15 through to 18 of the annual report of the Community Visitor Program. The letter of transmission is signed by Eddie Cubillo on 24 September 2010. What concerned me was what was written in the report itself. It refers to section 29. At the beginning of the entry it says: (1) Subject to section 30, a person admitted as a voluntary patient may leave the facility at any time. I will return to section 30 shortly. (2) A person must be informed of his or her right to leave the approved treatment facility on being admitted as a voluntary patient. Approved Procedure Five states that: If there is a concern in advance the patient is unwell enough to meet criteria for involuntary admission, the APP the Approved Psychiatric Practitioner: must make the appropriate order. If the APP is concerned a person who presents, even as a voluntary patient, is not well enough to meet the criteria for involuntary admission, the 6536