Bill
Social Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2015
lapsed, as at 2016-04-17. Social Services portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Social Services
Recorded stages
Divisions
- Jenny Macklin I am speaking today on the Social Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2015. This bill will take income support payments away from people in psychiatric confinement who are charged with a serious offence and who are undergoing a course of rehabilitation. Since 1986, legislation has provided that a person undergoing psychiatric confinement who is undertaking a course of rehabilitation can receive income support payments. They are people who have been found to be suffering very serious mental health issues like schizophrenia; bipolar disorder; intellectual disabilities; acquired brain injuries from a car, sporting accident or a stroke; and other conditions that impair mental functioning. The people impacted by this measure will have been charged with serious offences, which is why any change to the arrangements for people in psychiatric confinement needs to be properly considered. Any change should be based on extensive consultation and debated sensitively. Unfortunately, the government has not consulted on the changes in this bill prior to its announcement. The government did not speak to the patients who may be impacted by these measures, to their families or to their carers. They did not speak to the mental health advocacy organisations or to state and territory governments. They did not speak to the psychiatric institutions that provide the care. Little has changed since the announcement. No genuine effort has been made to communicate this decision to make sure that those impacted by the measure are aware of the change and can prepare accordingly. The government has left mental health services to communicate with patients, families and carers. This is just not good enough. A proper process of consultation is needed for such a complex, sensitive and serious matter. Today's consideration of the bill pre-empts the findings of a Senate inquiry. A public hearing as part of that inquiry was held only last week. There have been 26 written submissions to the — 2015-05-28, House of Representatives: affirmative, ayes 79, noes 44
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Plain-language summary
Written by a model from the explanatory memorandum; not the record, as at 2015-03-25.
The bill would stop social security payments for people held in psychiatric confinement after being charged with a serious violent offence.
It would treat such confinement as disqualifying regardless of whether the person is undergoing rehabilitation, reversing a Federal Court ruling that allowed payments in some cases.
The change would start on 1 July 2015, as stated in the 2014-15 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
- The bill would deny social security payments to people in psychiatric confinement due to serious criminal charges.
- It would define a serious offence as violent crimes like murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, rape, and attempted rape.
- The bill would allow payments during a period of integration back into the community.
People charged with serious violent offences who are in psychiatric confinement.
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