Doyle's mental health vow Print
Written by Mathew Murphy   

By Mathew Murphy
The Age May 2, 2005

State Opposition Leader Robert Doyle has pledged to match Premier Steve Bracks' funding of mental health if the Liberal Party wins the next election.

Mr Doyle said there was "no question" a Liberal government would match the $180 million extra to mental health over four years, which was outlined in the Government's social policy statement last Thursday.

While he welcomed "every single extra dollar into mental health", he said the Government had not gone far enough.

Former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett, who praised Mr Bracks on Thursday for focusing on mental health, said the move was a "small step for mankind".

"It is never enough, but it is a start," he said.

Mr Kennett, chairman of the national depression initiative beyondblue, described the funding as "the largest contribution to mental illness by any state government ever" and said if he was still premier mental health would be in his top two or three priorities.

"Knowing what I know today it would be among my top priorities. You can't live in the past, but if I knew what I know now about mental health it would have been different," he said.

Mr Bracks said he was pleased to hear Mr Kennett's approval of the funding. "He has certainly made a mark on mental illness and on ensuring there is a clear focus around Australia on that issue."

Mr Bracks challenged Mr Doyle to take another look at the statement on mental health.

"In opposition it's easy to be against everything, it's harder sometimes and it takes a bit of courage to say that was a good initiative," Mr Bracks said.

Mr Doyle said he believed the measures were lacking in detail. "I am happy to give a tick if it is deserved. I am not a negative person. But tell me how you are going to do things. I want transparency and specifics - what is new and what is just trotted out as a re-announcement?"

But Mr Doyle congratulated the Premier for allocating $6.5 million to early intervention measures focused on 16 to 25-year-olds showing signs of mental health problems.