Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I recently had the privilege of meeting Elizabeth and Peter Young, the mother and brother of Jade Young, who tragically lost her life during the Bondi Junction tragedy in April. As Elizabeth and Peter shared their deeply painful experience, I was struck by their strength, determination and humanity. In their grief, Elizabeth, a retired English teacher, and Peter, an engineer, told me of their family's very personal and traumatic experience but all the while emphasising the need for a nationally coordinated mental health system, a system that would meet the needs of people seeking help and support be they victims of violent crimes or those who present a risk to themselves and others.

While I was heartened to hear that the victim's family living in New South Wales were supported by mental health crisis services, I was shocked to hear that Peter, who lives in Tasmania with his young family, was not. Instead, he was left to navigate a multitude of system challenges to receive the support he needed. For instance, Peter explained how he must pay for his family's trauma support and care. If they were in New South Wales, such services would be free. In other words, Peter's experience highlights that while the mental health challenges are not dissimilar between jurisdictions, the gap between the funding and the services available between the states reflects the inequity and inefficiency of Australia's mental health system.

It is an unfortunate reality that mental ill-health will continue to feature in our communities. Indeed, 42.9 per cent of Australians aged 16 to 85 have experienced a mental health issue at some point in their lives. And the situation is particularly dire for young people, with 38.8 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds reporting they experienced mental ill-health within the last year. And these statistics are not merely abstract figures; they represent the struggles of millions among us. But in response, the mental health system is thinly stretched and demand is rising. Our hospital system is simply not resourced to address demand and there is a lack of accessible community based experience. Further, as Peter's experience highlights, there is a lack of coordination between jurisdictions. Obviously this is a recipe for disaster if left unaddressed.

To be fair, this is not the fault of our healthcare professionals. I also do understand that the joint health ministers and mental health ministers session recently met to examine reform and the ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to improving access to mental health services through the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. But, frankly, we need more than vague commitments. We need tangible and timely outcomes and we need a nationally coordinated mental health system underpinned by well-resourced services that are both accessible and responsive regardless of postcode.

An example of a coordinated system would be one where a proactive and responsive service following the horrific events at Bondi Junction would have linked in with Tasmanian services to ensure that Peter and his family had support locally. Moreover, and I've been advocating for this for years, we need to improve information sharing between jurisdictions and specifically regarding mental health orders. The fact Australia does not have a national scheme for the mutual recognition of civil mental health orders clearly isn't good enough.

I'll leave the chamber with some words Elizabeth shared with me:

While my family and I will never forgive my sister's murderer, the myriad failures of our mental health system are also unforgivable. Without change, events of this manner will likely happen again. Indeed barely a week passes without a story that makes it clear how utterly broken our mental health system is.

She put this question to me:

What actions are you willing to take with the power, authority and duty of care you are charged with as a parliamentarian?

I reflect on this question with great anguish, frankly. Clearly, we in this place must speak out and amplify the voices of Peter, Elizabeth and others who seek to draw attention to the need for a nationally coordinated mental health system. We must support the members of our communities who require assistance, and we must push for change to reform the mental health system to ensure equity and accessibility. In other words, this must be a collective effort, one led by the federal government working with the states and territories to support those affected to finally design and deliver the coordinated mental health system that this country needs, that this country can afford and that this country has the wherewithal to deliver.

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