Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As societal scourges go, is there anything graver than suicide—than the propensity for people to take their own life? The most recent year for which the Australian Bureau of Statistics has published data is 2019, when there were 3,318 deaths by intentional self-harm. That's over nine people every single day, well over double the national death toll on our roads. This is a difficult issue. It's highly sensitive, and it's one that I believe certainly unites every single member in this chamber, weighing heavily on their minds.

It was a humbling honour to attend a local launch of The Way Back program, hosted by the PHN in Cotton Tree. I was delighted to see Open Minds, a local mental health service provider, taking responsibility for rolling out The Way Back locally. To all those who work in this sector: thank you so much for working together, collaborating and keeping the issue of people at the centre.

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