ditch pitch for health and environment votes in

Bass.

The late bid in Bass came as Prime Minister

Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott

entered a frenetic final few days of campaigning

with polls indicating Saturday's federal election is

likely to be decided by just a handful of seats.

Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton

made a flying visit to Launceston to promise a

$60 million early intervention mental-health unit.

As well, Bass Liberal candidate Steve Titmus

said a $2.5 million silt pledge made last week was

now unconditional. Previously it was dependent on

matching funding from the state government.

Mr Dutton said the mental health centre would

be built in Launceston and provide 24-hour crisis

care and have up to 20 acute and subacute

psychiatric beds.

The Launceston service _ which the Liberals

said would focus on the needs of young people _

would be the second of 20 that would be built

nationwide under a Coalition government.

Mr Titmus said Tasmania had some of the

highest youth suicide rates in Australia and the

service would take pressure off the Launceston

General Hospital's emergency department.

Mr Dutton said the proposed service would affect

many lives across the community, ranging from

the parents of children suffering depression or

other mental illness through to doctors or even

police.

He said the centre would be built quickly at a

cost of $25 million. The other $35 million pledged

was recurrent funding over four years.

Launceston has only two full-time psychiatrists

and Mr Dutton said the unit could help attract

staff to overcome the city's shortage of mental

health workers.

In its 2009 findings, a Legislative Council select

committee into mental health reported a dire

shortage of services for young people with mental

health problems.