SOLDIERS AND SIRENS
PROGRAM
488. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the Minister for Mental Health:
I refer the minister to question
without notice 446 asked on Tuesday, 10 August to the Minister for Police and
to the announcement on Sunday that the
government will inject $4 billion to reboot Western Australia's health
system.
Will
the minister commit to funding the ongoing services of the Soldiers and Sirens
program, which provides essential mental health services and support for
the Western Australian police, other first responders and veterans; and, if
not, why not?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
Thank you, honourable member.
I was disappointed to hear that
federal government funding for Soldiers and Sirens has not been continued, and
I call on the federal minister to reconsider this decision.
As
the honourable member will appreciate, there is a requirement to adhere to the
WA state government procurement rules when undertaking any community
services procurement activity to ensure that a competitive, open market
procurement process is undertaken. The Mental Health Commission has an
unsolicited funding proposal process, and Soldiers and Sirens has been provided
with information to enable it to submit an application for assessment under
this process.