Australian politicians who want to stop psychiatric abuse

I have narrowed this search down to my electorate, Melbourne Ports, this includes all the Senate candidates for Victoria, but only the House of Reps for Melbourne Ports, for the Sept 2013 election.

If anyone from other areas wants to collaborate or comment on their area, with candidates who are going to do something about stopping forced-drugging, electro-shock and other psychiatric abuse, I would be most interested.

That said, I am aware that the Socialist Alliance has this written on their website, ‘The Socialist Alliance will guarantee patients' control by legislating the right of access to all information required for informed consent; the right to appoint a legal guardian of a patient's choice; the right to choose or refuse medical treatment; the right to choose contraception appropriate to the patient and abortion as required. Hospitals to be forced to admit their surgical, pharmacological and other nosocomial mistakes as a matter of due process.’

            This sounds promising, but they are not running in either Senate for Victoria, or House of Reps in Melbourne Ports. They are, however, running in other electorates.

 

These are the replies I got for my electorate in regards to stopping psychiatric abuse:

'Hi Initially,

Thanks and this was brought to my attention prior to last (2010) election. We are most definitely against such forced treatments. I seem to recall we put out a media release against it at the time. My own Solicitor had been involved in legal cases, representing those forced to undergo such treatment against their will.

Please do your best to spread the word and get our vote up.

It will be simple for voting the Liberal Democrats into the Senate for NSW; we drew number 1 on the ballot paper!

Thanks,'

Peter Whelan

National President

Liberal Democratic Party

www.ldp.org.au

twitter@auslibdems

***

'Dear Sir,

As a fellow sufferer of occasional but debilitating bouts of depression, I am fully supportive of your strong desire to end abuse.

The resurgent Australian Democrats and I will do whatever it takes to end this old-fashioned method of playing with people's human rights and then promote successful, modern Scandinavian techniques.

My name is Richard Grummet and I am 1 of 6 candidates on the ballot paper for the Australian Democrats in Victoria.

In the spirit of our founder Don Chipp, we intend to "Keep the Bastards Honest" - particularly on this crucial human rights issue - if elected.

But we need your help to get back into the Senate somewhere in Australia in 10 days time.

With only 2% of the vote and the right preference flows we will do it - but we need the no.1 above the line vote of you and your friends on the Senate ballot paper Australia - wide.

Please let me know ASAP - if we can do more.

Yours Sincerely,'

Richard Grummet.

Australian Democrats


(Also in The Democrats' health policy they list the right to choose or refuse medical care and

'consumer involvement in the development and provision of health care services, policies and programs'

***

'Hi Initially NO,

I am coming to this Senate election from running my own small business and hope to contribute in a practical way. My background and starting interests are on the website at www.bobnicholls.com.au

I am not aware of the problems that you raise but could look into it at  a later time, if for no other reason than people being afforded dignity and respect.

I do have as one of my goals (see website) to look into mental health as a root cause of many of our society’s ills. This is all I can offer to you at this stage.

If you feel strongly on this, please keep pushing everyone. We should all have passion for something.

 

Regards,'

 

Bob Nicholls

Independent

 

***

'Dear Initially No,

The WLP is a party of transparency, accountability and justice.  We are against unnecessary interference with the liberty of the subject. This would include unwarranted intrusions into peoples' health on spurious scientific grounds.  While we do not have a specific platform on forced drugging and electro-shock, rest assured that the senators, once elected, will ensure that whole sectors of society, including psychiatric practice, will come up for scrutiny and exposure, as it arises.

 

Kind regards,'

Binoy

Wikileaks Party

 

 

***

 

‘Hi Initially,

Senator Online believe as I do that the community has a right to have their voice heard in the Senate. For too long we have heard  Politicians from both sides of the divide, tell us what they think is best for the Community. A vote for SOL will give the voice to the people. Should the majority of the community agree with any particular issue, then they will be supported by SOL.

We are not a traditional political organisation with policies that are influenced by party politics, or by vocal minorities, or subject to doing "deals". We are about putting the voice of the majority above special interest groups. We will be the voice of the silent majority!!

The Party is proactive.

• SOL will promote and submit Bills to Parliament as they are supported by a clear majority of the public. 

• You will be able to cast a vote and influence Bills in Parliament directly through the Senator Online Website or App.

• SOL will provide balanced information and the pros and cons on each Bill. You will have clear awareness of what is going on in Parliament, enabling you to engage and act.

• In the future, you will be able to collaboratively create and vote on Bills with other members of the public through a "wiki".

SOL MPs and Senators will submit Bills that are supported by the clear majority of their constituency.

• We stand for giving the public a clear voice on each and every Bill and important issue, putting "democratic" back in democracy and making the deliberations universally accessible. We believe in providing people with the opportunity to have their voice heard on every Bill and issue that is being debated in Parliament.

• Equally importantly, we stand for the power of informed debate. By using the unmatched "enabler" of information — the internet — we seek to prompt informed debate on the issues that are important to the majority of Australians.

Our policies will be determined by the clear majority view of Australians. In the future, you will be able to collaboratively develop and vote on Bills with other members of the public through a "wiki".

SOL is best described as a directional party, that will aid our government.

 

Please go to our website www.senatoronline.org.au, and see how this will work’

 

Regards,

Lloyd Taylor

Senator Online Candidate - Victoria

***

Initially,

'Our overall policy (http://greens.org.au/equality-everyone) states as follows:

 PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE

Whether in prison, immigration detention or psychiatric facilities, people held in detention are particularly powerless and vulnerable.  The Greens believe that all detainees have a right to be treated humanely and with dignity.

The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) is an international agreement designed to protect people in detention from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. It ensures that these facilities can be independently monitored and inspected. We will commit $15 million over the next four years to ratify the convention and protect the vulnerable in detention.

With regard to more specifics regarding psychiatric forced treatment . I will forward your email onto our relevant Senator, Penny Wright  who is our mental health spokesperson

Regards,'

Janet Rice

Victorian Greens Lead Senate Candidate 

***

‘Hi Initially

 

Thanks for your email.

As you probably know, Greens Senator Richard Di Natale is a medical doctor and has been responsible for many important initiatives - re preventative health, problem gambling, junk food.

I am not aware of any specific actions re abuse, but in general the Greens work and policies on mental health issues is very strong and supportive, standing up for more funding and some important specific initiatives.

Apart from the refugees health initiative that you mentioned, we have also recently called for better rural mental health funding, see http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-21/greens-mental-health-policy/4901766.

extending the mental Health Nurse Incentive program, and additional services for care in the community too.  Here are links to our platform http://www.greens.org.au/platform and our health policy, it http://greens.org.au/policies/health.

We are so pressed for time, I hope that gives you an idea of the party values and aims, even if I have not addressed your specific concerns.

Take care and Best wishes’

Ann Birrell

Greens candidate for Melbourne Ports

I am surprised with this miniscule result in return replies.

Those against psychiatric torture regimes comprise of at least 5% of the vote. This could be a major win for a party or independant. Those who are ignorant and could be made aware of this major abuse of human-rights, comprise of more than 20% of the vote.

Psychiatric survivors, activists, compassionate individuals, those diagnosed and incarcerated in hospitals for no crime… our voice needs to be heard, recognised, validated and the horror of psychiatric abuse needs to stop. We have the United Nations backing us. Why do Australian political parties that have policies regarding human-rights claim such ignorance of what happens on their doorstep? of what can happen to anyone who goes through trauma, crisis who doesn’t get enough support and validation for their suffering?

Do politicians not know how cruel toxic drugs such as neuroleptics are, that shut down neurotransmitters so a youthful person feels like they have Alzheimer’s, so they twitch uncontrollably, sleep most of the day? Can’t they imagine how horrible it is to lose your memory during the 40 or so bouts of ECT that a psychiatrist recommends and forces on individuals without their consent?

Psychiatric abuse needs to stop. I want parties who will back us, who advertise this policy to stop psychiatric abuse properly. I want politicians who are loud and clear that they will stop force-drugging, electro-shock and other invasive procedures. It will be a major win for whoever does this. Whoever goes into hospitals and lets those being tortured by psychiatrists know that they should vote, because their party is going to stop the horror of psychiatric abuse.

I am surprised so many Australians still believe that biological psychiatry, is the social-psychiatry of Hollywood movies. No, psychiatrists rarely talk or listen to patients, they mandate, brainwash and forcefully drug and electrocute. They forcefully inject and electrocute  those grieving the loss of their loved-ones, with major tranquilisers, that cause brain-damage and other disabling. It is not okay to do this to asylum seekers, Greens, hint, hint... I want clarity on that, that you will not send psychiatrists to forcefully drug refugees, like you have promised to do. They are people who have obviously been through trauma and adversity, they are detained and suffering, they are in crisis, they need to talk with people would are empathetic, who listen and enable them to have courage to live, who are trustworthy professionals that will help anchor their crisis in some sort of consensual reality, that allows for diversity. People that will give them hope and ways to cope, so they don't despair and wonder what reality actually is. They are people who really don't need their minds policed by psychiatrists, who will forcefully torture them with drugs and electro-shock, then demand that they agree that they are 'mentally ill' and need to take the 'recommended dose of meds' that is harming them unendurably. That's what psychiatrists do, they don't listen, they experiment and police diversity, unless they specifically state that they are social-psychiatry, that they do psychoanalysis and only prescribe drugs when a patient really wants that. Understand that pollies!

Attorney-General's Department: Stop psychiatric abuse and gain an apology for it ever having occurred