Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Again, I thank the new Second Deputy Speaker for his question. We have seen extraordinary public coverage over recent months about the mental health issues that are associated with the service that our ADF personnel give to our country, whether that is service here in Australia or, particularly, service overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and other theatres of conflict or peacekeeping. This is not a new issue. Previous generations associated with conflicts like World War I, World War II, Vietnam most notably, but many others as well, have experienced mental health issues that in those days went by many different names, whether it was shell shock or, more recently, post-traumatic stress disorder.

As I indicated in my last answer, this week saw the inaugural ADF Mental Health Day, which coincides with today's World Mental Health Day on 10 October. The day highlights the extraordinary work that is being done to ensure that members of the ADF are in top condition mentally and also breaks down the stigma that we continue to see within the ADF about mental health issues, as we see in other areas of our community. The government, the defence community and DVA are committed to ensuring that mental health care is available and is taken up, most importantly, by past and present members of the defence community as well as by our veterans. Early identification of those issues is incredibly important, and it finally gets the recognition it deserves with this inaugural day.

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