CEO travels to Canberra

blog | November 23, 2010 | By Keiran Booth

For the last week or so I have been travelling to Canberra for a number of engagements and meetings. It started with the Mental Health Council of Australia's Annual General Meeting and Members' Policy Forum. The Policy Forum is a means for members of the Mental Health Council to advise the Board and Executive of their particular needs and the focus of the council over the next 12 months.

The AGM was a great meeting which was held in Parliament House. A number of politicians attended and addressed the meeting. This was a good opportunity for us to raise a number of issues with our politicians (which we did) and also to arrange more comprehensive meetings with them (which I also did).

Following on from the opportunity at the AGM I was able to travel back to Canberra and meet the politicians in their private offices in Parliament House. Meetings were held with the Hon. Mark Butler, Minister for Ageing and Mental Health. Minister Butler showed a great interest in the needs of Mental Health Carers and Families and has agreed to ongoing meetings and discussions with us. The Minister has recently announced a speaking tour around the country to meet with consumers ande carers. Minister Butler said that he has had a number of organisations and identities call on him but he was really wanting to meet and talk directly with consumers and carers. The Minister told us that he will use the opportunity to hear directly from Consumers and Carers and take the matters raised to the Cabinet to inform their discussions and planning for the upcoming budget. The Minister was extremely attentive to the issues we raised with him and was deeply interested in the plight of Families and Carers of people with a mental illness.

After meeting with the Minister I was able to meet Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the Opposition's Shadow Minister for Mental Health. This was also a very interesting meeting. Senator Fierravanti-Wells (Liberal Senator for NSW) has her electoral office in Wollongong and was very interested in the work of ARAFMI. The Senator has agreed to meet with me in Wollongong to visit our services and to meet drectly with local families and carers.

After meeting with the Shadow Minister I then met with Senator Rachel Seiwart. Senator Seiwart is The Greens spokesperson for Mental Health and has a strong interest in the area. Senator Seiwart has done a great deal of consultations already and showed a good understanding of the issues we raised. Senator Seiwart was very happy to maintain contact with us to further the needs of Families and Carers of people with a Mental Illness.

It was genuinely heartening to speak with these politicians and to hear of their desire to support families and carers of people with a mental illness. With health reform on the national agenda at present, it was a great opportunity for us to speak directly with them and to have our issues put onto that agenda. We will continue to maintain contact with them and raise issues of concern that families and carers of people with a mental illness need to have addresed.

I still have a number of functions and meetings to hold in our national capital over the coming week and will keep you informed.

Keep well.