Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Each year in my community, the Plebs, Pros and Personalities 24 Hour Treadmill Run for suicide prevention takes place. Established in 2012 by a group of mates from Maroubra, the annual event came about when this group of mainly young men, after working out just how many friends and people from the community had lost their lives to suicide, decided that enough was enough. The Plebs, Pros and Personalities 24 Hour Treadmill Run has since featured many community personalities and sports stars, including Greg Inglis, Shannan Ponton, Johanna Griggs and Sonny Bill Williams. They have worked to remove the stigma associated with discussing issues of mental health. This year, they raised $230,000 for Suicide Prevention Australia. I am proud to have been a part of that event and to have run on the treadmill.

Mental health issues are a big issue in Australia and there is still an unjustified stigma associated with mental health issues. Each year approximately 65,000 Australians attempt to take their own life. In 2012, over 2½ thousand people died from suicide—almost double the road toll. Nearly in five Australian adults will experience mental ill health each year. Nearly half of the Australian adult population will experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are three times more likely to suffer from mental health issues.

Labor is well aware of this and we are committed to making a difference to the lives of Australians who live with mental health issues. It is time that Australia got serious about tackling depression, suicide and mental health issues. The annual cost of mental illness in Australia has been estimated by the ABS at $20 billion, which includes the cost of the loss of productivity and labour force participation. Evidence shows that people who get the support they need when they need it are far better equipped to lead contributing lives through participation in work and in the community. Under Labor, mental health will be person centred and designed specifically to meet the needs of local communities. A Shorten Labor government will build on Labor's strong legacy in mental health by ensuring investment goes where it is needed most. Labor will be guided by the recommendations of the National Mental Health Commission and we will outline our priorities of implementation within the first hundred days of government. Labor will also commit to reducing suicide in Australia by 50 per cent over the next 10 years. We will do this by following the recommendations of the National Mental Health Commission and will target our work on a regional focus in particular. Labor is getting serious about tackling mental health issues in Australia.

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