THE alleged murder of a 74-year-old man in Western Sydney has led Orange State MP Phil Donato to again criticise the New South Wales Mental Health Review Tribunal.
Quang My Pham was allegedly killed by 45-year-old Corum Ash after being released from Orange’s Bloomfield Mental Health Facility by the MHRT.
Mr Donato said there was an “imbalance” between the Tribunal’s split focus on patients and community safety.
“Last October, I spoke in Parliament about the growing imbalance within the Mental Health Review Tribunal, warning that the system had become increasingly weighted towards the rehabilitation and freedoms of offenders while sidelining the voices, rights and safety of victims and the broader community,” he said.
“Sadly, the events surrounding the alleged death of the 74-year-old gentleman demonstrate why those warnings cannot continue to be ignored.
“While the circumstances of every case are different and the current matter will rightly be subject to thorough investigation, there needs to be an urgent review of the MHRT, and every decision going forward ought to be subject to an independent assessment before being actioned.
“For years I have lobbied for an inquiry into the MHRT following a series of deeply concerning incidents involving forensic patients in the community.
“Following my most recent formal speech on 27 March 2026, the NSW Parliament’s Law and Safety Committee agreed to conduct an inquiry, and submissions have already been received.”
Mr Donato is a member of a committee currently looking into the Tribunal, known as the Forensic division of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal.
He said victims of offences committed by people under the purview of the MHRT were being sidelined.
“Registered victims’ voices of concern have long been ignored,” he said. “This inquiry will ensure victims’ needs and concerns receive fair and comprehensive consideration.
“For years, victims have described a system that appears to prioritise patient progression through leave, transfer and release pathways, often despite genuine and well-founded concerns about community safety.
“I again call for greater transparency, independent oversight of the MHRT, and meaningful reforms that ensure victims’ voices are genuinely considered in decisions affecting public safety.
“The tragic death of Mr Pham should not become another case that prompts temporary concern before the system returns to business as usual.
“If we fail to quickly learn from these events, people in the community are at risk of this occurring again.”