BackSaturday, 17 October 2015
Kelly Vincent – Vision Australia Interview on Cyclist Regulations and Borderline Personality Disorder
On 17th October 2015, Dignity for Disability MLC Kelly Vincent was interviewed on Vision Australia radio station to discuss the controversy around the new cyclist regulations. Kelly Vincent also discusses the need for specialist services for Borderline Personality Disorder in South Australia. Here is the audio and transcript from the interview.
Peter Greco: Always great to welcome to the program, Kelly Vincent the Member for the Legislative Council for Dignity for Disability. Kelly welcome to you.
Kelly Vincent: Thanks Peter. How are things?
Peter Greco: Very good. Now sadly a lot of discussion during the week from various mainstream media about the regulations regarding cyclists. Can we talk about, first of all the fact that cyclists are going to be allowed on footpaths. What are your thoughts about that?
Kelly Vincent: Well absolutely, we do understand that there have been some concerns raised. Certainly Dignity for Disability have been approached by the Royal Society for the Blind and the Blind Citizens Council with some concerns about allowing cyclists on footpaths. But can I say from the outset that it’s my understanding that the kind of people we’re talking about allowing to cycle on footpaths are likely to be people who are elderly or who might not be able to keep up enough speed to be riding on the road, young children, people with intellectual disability and so on. So we’re not talking about you know, Cadel Evans going for a marathon ride on the road. But having said that I understand there are some concerns and I’ll certainly raise them with the Minister for Transport, Stephen Mullighan. I think he has been receptive to looking into these concerns and particularly around the need for making sure there is a speed limit for cyclists on the footpath, so that we don’t endanger people who might be, I guess in this case vision impaired or have a mobility impairment. But can I also say we absolutely do need to find a balanced way to keep everybody safe, because at the end of the day we’re all tax payers and more importantly we’re all humans and as much as I understand there are concerns, I’m not aware of any pedestrians being killed by a cyclist on a footpath, but unfortunately we do have a lot of cyclists being killed by motorists on the road. So we do need to find a balance and that’s why Dignity for Disability has taken these concerns to the Transport Minister and we’ll make sure we find the right balance for keeping everybody safe.
Peter Greco: One of the concerns has been that identifying a cyclist when they’d hit a pedestrian might be obviously a lot more difficult than identifying a motorist.
Kelly Vincent: Yes, I think that is a concern. But there are ways of doing that, it’s obviously happened before because cyclists do get fined from when they do break laws and so there are ways of doing that. As I say, we’re happy to continue this conversation and keep it going so we don’t find that right balance. I think ultimately whether you’re a cyclist, or someone with a vision impairment, or a wheelchair user, or a motorist, you have an equal right to be safe using public spaces.
Peter Greco: There was some talk that perhaps some of the cross benchers in the Upper House might vote against the regulations. A) Have you heard that? And B) What about Dignity for Disability’s position on should there be a vote?
Kelly Vincent: Well look, we certainly have heard this and we understand that at the moment there are the numbers in the Upper House to disallow the regulations. This being, independent John Darley, Family First and I think the Liberal Opposition if I’m correct, have indicated their support for disallowing the regulations. As I say Dignity for Disability would prefer to see a balanced discussion on how we can have rules that can keep both cyclists and pedestrians safe. So we would prefer to keep this conversation going rather than voting against the regulations outright.
Peter Greco: And what about the fact that some Councils may be able to ban cyclists on particular streets in particular Council areas?
Kelly Vincent: Look I think this is an ongoing discussion. Dignity for Disability have put an invitation to the Royal Society for the Blind and the Blind Citizens Council if my memory serves me, to come and talk to us about the issues and why they have concerns about people riding on the footpath. I understand that particularly for people with vision impairment it could be a problem and we need to continue this conversation with Councils to strike that balance. But again, I make the point that it’s my understanding that the likelihood of people riding on the footpath is going to be people like, people with very small children and elderly people. So again, I understand that there are concerns but we also need to make sure that people who need to cycle from place to place either because they don’t have a license or can’t afford public transport or for whatever reason, and pedestrians can all be safe. So through asking for this round table with the Minister and the Blind Citizens Council and RSB, and asking to keep the conversation going, Dignity for Disability is working hard to ensure we get the right balance. Because again Peter, I make the point and I don’t want to overdo it, but I think it is a point that has been kept out of this discussion and I have been disappointed I have to say, to see the media in particular fanning this debate and this idea that it’s motorist versus cyclists.
Peter Greco: Mmhmm
Kelly Vincent: And we certainly think that there is a balance here to be struck. Because ultimately we all pay our taxes, we’re all members of the community and we all need to be able to be safe using our public spaces. And so, Dignity for Disability is looking forward to hearing from the RSB and the Blind Citizens Council and local councils in making sure that we can get the right balance to keep everyone safe.
Peter Greco: There was some talk also that perhaps maybe the Pedestrian Council or Blind Citizens Australia will look at going to the Equal Opportunity Commission or the Human Rights Commission, what are your thoughts on that?
Kelly Vincent: Well I haven’t yet heard anything about that, unless I received something on the weekend that I haven’t yet had a look at. But I think first of all we need to take this to the Government, as it is the State Government that has brought the regulations forward. And as I say, through extending the invitation to have this round table and having already put these concerns to the Transport Minister, Stephen Mullighan, Dignity for Disability is doing everything we can to make sure that we do strike this balance and that the rights of everyone is met. And I think we do need to take this step first before we look at elevating this to something like the Equal Opportunity Commission. But having said that, in the unlikely event that the discussions fail and we haven’t even completed these discussions yet. It’s my understand that the Blind Citizens Council, unless they have responded in recent hours, have not yet responded to my invitation to come to this round table. So I’m looking forward to having this discussion first and do everything that I can as a State Parliamentarian but of the unlikely event that those discussions fail then I think that there will be the opportunity to take this to a higher level if that’s what these organisations deem appropriate. But I’m absolutely happy to do everything I can at the State Parliament level first. As I say, unless I’m mistaken the Blind Citizens Council have not yet responded to my invitation.
Peter Greco: Well hopefully they do, because you’ve put the invitation out there so they hopefully will attend. Kelly, last week on the program we spoke to a very impressive couple who have an adult daughter with a Borderline Personality Disorder and they were pretty unhappy about the lack of the support that the State Government was providing. Any thoughts about that?
Kelly Vincent: Yes, well Dignity for Disability has been working on trying to get more support for people with Borderline Personality Disorder for a number of years now. As I’m sure you picked up from your interview with Bob and Judy, Borderline Personality Disorder is a particularly maligned and misunderstood mental health condition and of course we all probably know that mental health in general is very misunderstood. So for people with an even more maligned disorder this is very tough. And Borderline Personality Disorder is typically characterised by confusion over identity, and engaging in risk taking behaviours such as self-harm, promiscuity and drug use. So often, even by mental health professionals, Borderline Personality Disorder is dismissed as attention seeking behaviour, which it’s not in its own right, it’s a genuine mental health disorder that needs attention and support. But I have to say Peter, even if it was attention seeking behaviour my question is, so what? As people you still need to address why people are feeling so isolated and so resentful and alone and misunderstood that they’re having to go to these extreme measures of attempting suicide multiple times and engaging in risk taking behaviours. And so Dignity for Disability has been raising this issue in Parliament for some years now and we’ve been joined by Tammy Franks from The Greens and Stephen Wade as the Liberal Health Spokesperson. We are coming together and calling on the Government to put in place specialist support for people with Borderline Personality Disorder. And the need for that is unfortunately evident given that between 1-4% of the population will experience Borderline Personality Disorder in their lifetime. So as many as 68,000 South Australian’s…
Peter Greco: Mmhmm
Kelly Vincent: Right now are living with a Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis. And not only of course is there a significant emotional toll for people with BPD and their families, there’s a strong economic argument here as well. One day in hospital for a mental health condition for one person costs anywhere from $800 up and one single emergency department presentation costs as much as $1,000 per person. And so people with Borderline Personality Disorder as I’ve said, live their lives in crisis and can present to emergency departments hundreds of times a year, per person. And so there is a strong financial case for putting in place more supports for people with BPD.
Peter Greco: Is part of that support a Commissioner?
Kelly Vincent: Absolutely, you’ve beat me to it. I was just about to mention that as part of the solution. As you are aware the Government has committed to putting in place a Mental Health Commissioner but we’re yet to see that happen. Dignity for Disability is very strong on the fact that this Commissioner, whoever is appointed needs to be independent in the sense that their independent from Government and have the power to make comment about existing government programs and be critical about Government where appropriate. But also I think it’s important that their independent from the strictly medical model of treatment of mental health. Because unfortunately we know people who have lived or are still living with an experience of mental health disorder, or any measure of disorder know that strictly medical treatment is not the answer. We need a Commissioner who is willing and able to go out and actually speak to individuals and families about what they’re experiencing and most importantly what social supports would actually help people to stop being isolated and stop living their lives in crisis and stop having to go to hospital in the first place.
Peter Greco: Kelly, we’ll have to leave it there. Thank you so much for speaking to us and we’ll certainly keep in touch with both these issues.
Kelly Vincent: Absolutely, I could speak about this for a very long time as I’m sure you’ve noticed so thank you for your time.
Peter Greco: Thanks Kelly.
Kelly Vincent: Thanks Peter.
Peter Greco: Kelly Vincent there, the member for Dignity for Disability in the Legislative Council. We’ll certainly follow up both of these issues over the next few weeks.
