[Greens-Media] Tas Greens_Tri-Partite Support for Willow Court Motion_C O'Connor MP

[greens at parliament.tas.gov.au]

GREENS WELCOME PASSAGE OF TRIPARTISAN WILLOW COURT MOTION

Cassy O'Connor MP
Greens Shadow Health and Human Services Spokesperson

Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Contact: State Parliamentary Offices of the Tasmanian Greens, (03) 6233
8300

www.tas.greens.org.au


The Tasmanian Greens today warmly welcomed the passage through the House
of Assembly of a tripartisan motion on the former Willow Court
institution at New Norfolk, and the development of a new Disability
Services Act.

Greens Shadow Health and Human Services spokesperson Cassy O'Connor MP
said the motion recognises that residents of Willow Court suffered, and
their fundamental human rights were breached, as a result of their
incarceration at Willow Court before the institution's doors were
finally closed in 2000.

"The motion passed by the lower house today, and which I trust will be
passed by the Legislative Council, will help to ensure that  what
happened at Willow Court is never, ever allowed to happen in Tasmania
again," Ms O'Connor said.

"In passing the motion, MPs acknowledged that institutional care as it
was practiced at Willow Court is no longer appropriate for people with
disabilities, and that primary care and support for people with
disabilities is best provided in the community."

"The motion requests the Joint Standing Committee on Community
Development to consider the objectives, outcomes and principles that
should form the basis of the new Disability Services Act, to ensure this
very sorry chapter in our history is never repeated."

"Some of the stories of what took place inside the walls of Willow Court
are harrowing to hear and read.  There is written and anecdotal evidence
of residents being controlled through the use of high levels of drugs;
of residents sitting uncleaned in their urine or faeces; of an
'exceptionally' high accident rate; and of soiled linen being used to
make up beds."

"Since I first raised this matter of the need for a formal apology to
the victims of Willow Court in Parliament in August this year, I
understand dozens of people have contacted National Disability Services
Tasmania with yet more distressing tales."

"These people have detailed their knowledge of children being left
outdoors unsupervised for long periods and of children dirty and uncared
for in ragged clothes; of frequent, uninvestigated assaults and of a
fifteen year old child being given shock treatment."

"We need to confront this dark history in order to move on, and make
sure it is not allowed to repeat itself. "

"We are, thankfully, no longer a society that condones the view that the
best place for people living with disabilities and mental illness is to
be locked away, far out of sight and mind, and far beyond the reach of
the normal rules of society that can be taken for granted."

 "As a community, we need to find out what happened to Willow Court's
former residents.  We need to  determine what happened to these
Tasmanians once Willow Court closed its heavy doors eight years ago."

"As it stands, we can't be sure of the health and wellbeing of former
residents locked away as children and teenagers, who remain among the
most vulnerable of Tasmanians.  I believe some will be lost to our
knowledge, some will be being well cared for in group homes, but sadly,
some former Willow Court residents will have found their way into the
criminal justice system, or  be in psychiatric care."

"As part of the process we have debated in Parliament, the Department of
Health and Human Services will conduct an audit to track through the
whereabouts of former Willow Court residents, and to find out how they
are and how they have coped in the community
post-deinstitutionalisation.  This important audit will respect the
right to privacy of all involved."

 'Again, I wish to pay tribute to Margaret Reynolds and National
Disability Services Tasmania for first bringing this matter into the
public domain and for their relentless advocacy on behalf of Tasmanians
living with disabilities."

"In dealing with such a sensitive, delicate subject as Willow Court -
and what happened to its residents post-deinstitutionalisation - it is
critical that there be tripartite support.  I am extremely pleased to be
working with the Health Minister, Lara Giddings, Human Services
Minister, Lin Thorp, and my Liberal Health counterpart, Brett Whiteley,
on this important issue," Ms O'Connor said.




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