Corinne Mulholland (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down a budget that delivers for Queensland. But, today, I want to highlight an announcement of $1.7 million for mental health support in Brisbane's north. Last night, the Albanese government threw a vital funding lifeline to four Safe Spaces located at Caboolture, Redcliffe, Strathpine and Bardon. These are centres that were threatened with closure under the LNP in Queensland. They are after-hours mental health facilities whose doors remain open when other clinics are closed. It means people experiencing severe mental health challenges are met with care instead of crisis, literally saving lives.

I want to thank Minister Mark Butler for hearing the concerns raised by Petrie's MP, Emma Comer; Ali France from Dickson; Madonna Jarrett from Brisbane; and me. We challenged the federal government to take this fight up with the state government. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Mark Ryan, the state member for Morayfield. Five strong Labor voices united behind one message to make sure that these centres do not close, but we know that our work is not done. Locking in the federal funding is only half of the equation, and we know these centres are funded 50-50 with the state government. We are now waiting and watching to see whether Queensland's LNP government comes to the table with their fair share of funding.

We know it is in the DNA of the Queensland LNP to cut deeply into our health system, but the state government knows the value of these centres. They know that they divert people in crisis away from our emergency departments, which reduces pressure on ramping, our ambulance officers, our police officers and our EDs. So I say to Minister Tim Nicholls the federal government has stepped up; it is now time for the Queensland LNP government to do the same.