John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The lockdowns from this pandemic have often led to a debate between health and economics. The more thoroughly we lock down, the better the health outcomes in the fight against COVID but the worse the economic cost for all the struggling businesses that can't open. This dichotomy doesn't cut to the heart of the matter, because economic costs are not the end of the chain; they are merely a step along the way.

When a business can't open, the effects are felt hardest by the owners and the workers. They can lose income they rely on, and the stresses this can lead to are enormous. Ultimately, this results in huge concerns about mental health. So, in reality, the effectiveness of lockdowns is a contest between public health and mental health, and, as we know, the mental health of Australians has taken a huge hit. While all people have been affected, young people have been hit harder than most.

The formative years, between 15 and 24, are full of uncertainty and stress at the best of times, but this year they have been harder than ever. Exams have gone from things that we can prepare for together to terrifyingly solo ordeals. The parties and ceremonies—stress relief values at the end of school—have been cancelled or scaled back. Apprenticeships are upturned. Universities have lost their face-to-face collaboration, not to mention the buzzing social life. Forays into job markets are tougher than ever, and if you already had a job it's likely that it was in one of those low-paid service sectors that have been so ravaged by the lockdowns.

While we don't have data for 2021 yet, research conducted in 2020 showed that one-third of young Australians reported having experienced high or very high levels of distress. This is deeply concerning. Even more concerning is that every year in Australia more than 3,000 people lose their lives to suicide. That equates to approximately nine people dying by suicide each day. Suicide was the leading cause of death in people aged between 15 and 24, and 25 to 44 between the years 2016 and 2019.

Thankfully, mental health and suicide prevention remain one of the Australian government's highest priorities, as they should be. We are committed to delivering meaningful and lasting reform to this important area in reducing suicide towards zero. Young Australians in particular continue to be a focus of the government's investment in mental health to support them reaching their full potential. We want them to receive the help, support and care they need where and when they need it so they can reach their full potential. In the 2021-22 budget, the government invested a record $2.3 billion in the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to lead landmark reform. This is the largest federal government mental health investment in Australia's history.

Much of this investment is hitting the ground through headspace, the government's flagship program for the provision of services to young people aged 12 to 25 experiencing or at risk of mental health illness. Since it was started by the Howard government back in 2006, they have expanded to 139 centres operating across Australia. Through the 2019-20 and 2021-22 budgets, the government is undertaking the largest single expansion of the headspace network, bringing the total number of headspace services to 164 nationally by 2025-26. There have been over 3.6 million occasions of service provided through headspace since 2006. It's tragic that this much support has been needed but essential that this service is always there to listen, support and respond. If you or any young person you know is suffering from mental health issues, please reach out to headspace at www.headspace.org.au or on 1800650890.

I don't want to decry the usefulness of lockdowns—they have been a vital tool in our fight against this pandemic and have probably been the difference in keeping our case numbers low compared to similar countries—but we must make sure that while we ensure Australians are safe from COVID we don't leave them vulnerable to mental health concerns, and, if we do, that they always have the support and treatment to ensure they are able to manage this safely. We cannot afford to get this one wrong.

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