Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I will attempt to respond to those questions in the very short time that is still available. I think I was up to the distribution of psychologists. The answer is that this $51.7 million is designed to assist in the roll-out of psychologists and mental health nurses to rural and remote areas. We expect that that will assist. We understand that the ‘spatial distribution’, as the member for Lalor has coined it, is not as perfect as we would like it to be. That is why the Minister for Health and Ageing has a number of programs in place to try and address that issue.

The member for Lalor asked what the mechanism for the roll-out of these extra services under the mental health package would be in rural and remote areas. The member for Lalor would probably like to know that we intend to use the existing Australian Divisions of General Practice to roll out these services. In those areas where that is not appropriate, we will use the services that are there. In some areas Aboriginal health services will be used and in other areas regional health services will be used. Obviously, whatever service that is available and appropriate in the area will be the one that the Commonwealth puts to use for this program, but our leading area of rolling this out will be through the Australian Divisions of General Practice, in which we have great confidence.

I think the issue of web link services was the next item the member for Lalor raised. I am pleased to say that we are putting substantial funds into internet, telephone and counselling services. The member for Lalor would know, as would most members of the House, that the first source of treatment or advice for teenagers and young people is not going to be their parents or even their peers. If they have concerns about their mental health, they will happily go to the internet for advice—and, to some extent, self-treatment—because it is anonymous and they can find out a great deal of information. So the Commonwealth is putting substantial funds aside for the internet to try to reach young people. Some excellent websites are already in existence, such as MoodGYM, which is run from the ANU, and there are other sites that I have visited. We expect those to expand.

I cannot answer the question as to the proportion of the Kids Help Line budget or the proportion of the Lifeline budget that is Commonwealth funded. That is a question that is best put to Lifeline and the Kids Help Line. It is not something that I would necessarily know. Therefore, the member for Lalor might wish to approach Lifeline and the Kids Help Line. I am sure in their annual reports she would be able to find the answers to those questions, but I am not going to answer them because it is not part of my particular responsibility.

The member for Lalor also asked about depressioNet. DepressioNet was given extra funding last year by the minister for health. DepressioNet is perfectly able to apply for funding under this mental health package. DepressioNet has not been singled out for mention in the budget; neither was MoodGYM or any of the other web based services that are available. Like them, depressioNet is more than welcome to apply for funding under the package and if it is successful in achieving it then good luck to it.

The breakdown of the scholarships between nurses and psychologists is a question that I do not have a specific answer to. I am happy to take it on notice and ask the department to see whether they can come up with a breakdown. I imagine that, because these are not commencing until 2007 and many of the other parts of the program are commencing in July 2006, the specific breakdown of scholarships between nursing and psychology has probably not yet been decided. It is a matter that will obviously be decided before the end of this year and the member for Lalor will be one of the first to find out, I am sure, as will the institutions that are providing this training to the 420 new nurses and 200 new clinical psych places that the Commonwealth has put aside as part of this mental health package. As the member for Lalor and other members of the House would know, there is a chronic shortage of the labour that is required in the workforce in this area. The Commonwealth is moving to make a difference in that area even though many would say that the states bear a substantial responsibility for the workforce situation.

The member for Lalor also asked a number of questions about nutrition and obesity. I would point out to her that the minister for health has primary responsibility for those areas and, as a consequence, I am happy for him to answer those questions if he chooses to do so.

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