Josh Wilson (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

I'm glad to contribute to this debate and I thank the member for Fisher for bringing it forward. It's absolutely right that we recognise World Mental Health Day. There's no doubt the year 2020 has emphasised the need to put a renewed focus on our mental wellbeing. I note that, as part of Labor's constructive approach to the COVID-19 response, we supported the extension of telehealth services and the expansion of the number of Medicare supported mental health sessions. I welcome the fact that the government has implemented those measures.

Before I go further I think it's worth saying that if anyone is listening to us have this discussion on the radio or the web and it raises issues for you, then definitely consider the services that are available through Lifeline or other providers. That's a reference or a piece of encouragement that we hear a lot these days, and that's good; it's at the end of news reports and other things like that. We can't allow it to be a cursory observance. We can't allow it to be something that loses its impact through repetition. Too many of us, maybe all of us fall into the bad habit of not asking for help. Too many of us think, 'I'm not doing that badly,' or, 'I don't want to bother someone,' or even, 'I'm not the kind of person who experiences mental ill-health,' and that is a big part of the problem. The truth is we are all that person.

Half of all Australians experience mental ill health at some point in their lives and one in five Australians will experience mental ill health in any given year. The truth is you don't lose anything by having a conversation with someone. Just taking the step to vocalise what you're experiencing will lift some of the weight.

If you've had some experiences that leave you feeling bleak or down on a regular basis, if perhaps you start feeling that things are a little bit pointless, hopeless or overwhelming, or you are on edge or not taking any real joy in the things you normally relish, then talk to someone. Talk to your GP. It's what you would do, it's what I would do, it's what we would all do, if we felt persistent pain or if we experienced persistent nausea or some other physical symptom. Half the population will experience mental ill health at some point. It's normal, so don't hesitate to talk to someone. There is literally nothing to lose.

There was a really important debate in the House last week about the mental health and wellbeing of Australian Defence Force personnel and I acknowledge the contribution to that debate by members in the chamber today—the member for Fisher, the member for Herbert, the member for Berowra and many others. Labor welcomes the government's creation of a national commissioner for defence and veteran suicide prevention. We continue to believe that a royal commission is justified. It is vital we recognise all those parts of our community where acute mental ill health and suicide are prevalent and concentrated. Clearly and tragically that's the case with our service personnel.

At the same time let's not forget that the sharpest and most heartbreaking incidents of acute mental ill health are experienced by Indigenous Australians. For Indigenous men aged 25 to 29, the rate of suicide is four times the rate of non-Indigenous men. For Indigenous women aged 20 to 24, the rate of suicide is five times the rate of non-Indigenous women. Suicide is the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children between the ages of five and 17. That is completely unacceptable. It should galvanise all of us in this place to do more to advance practical, social, cultural and historical reconciliation all the time in every way possible.

We've made some long-overdue progress in the way mental ill health is understood and accepted as a common feature of the human experience but we've got a lot further to go. The stigma associated with mental ill health still exists. It exists in this place, especially with respect to serious illnesses like schizoaffective disorders. Across the board this stigma and a lack of understanding creates an obstacle for people to benefit from help, and we know that the response capacity services and facilities are still a long way short of what we need.

Like most people, I have some personal understanding and experience from within my family and close friends around mental illness and the toll it can take. There have been times when I wish my capacity to respond to those circumstances had been better—more receptive, more supportive, more emotionally resilient. I accept that I've been conditioned to keep myself to myself, and I tend to assume other people would rather be left alone. That's something I try to challenge and I'm trying to change. I accept that part of my conditioning has been to believe that strong people battle on by themselves, when I know that's silly and it's wrong. The real strength and the real courage is to be open with other people, to be honest with ourselves, to make connections, to give support and to receive support from those around us.

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