Senator MARGETTS (11:53 AM) —In brief, I indicate that the Greens (WA) will be prepared to support the amended amendment and that we would like to thank the parliamentary secretary for indicating that there will be some inquiry into the issue of pre-existing ailments. It is a particular issue, as we mentioned before, for those people who may well have a mental illness which they are not aware of; and there needs to be some means of dealing with that.

The clear intention of the majority of the Senate is, as I hear it, that there ought to be some move in government to improve the coverage of palliative care and such things as mental health problems, and that this might be some way of finding out what the problems are. Obviously, if the three eminent people are suitable, we will look forward to their report to see what positive steps we can take to improve the coverage of illnesses which may end up costing the community a great deal more in lots of other ways—in social and even financial and other ways—if we do not deal with them in a proper manner.