Nickolas Varvaris (Barton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I attended the launch of Mental Health Week at Wesley Mission's Clinical Education Facility in Kogarah, a facility which I opened in May.

I would like to commend the work that Wesley Mission is doing in drawing attention to the elephant in the room for the beginning of Mental Health Week. This was part of a campaign spearheaded by the Australian Private Hospitals Association to combat the stigma surrounding mental illness and celebrating the work that private hospitals do in assisting more than 32,000 Australians with these issues every year. 'The elephant in the room' was an analogy for the often-ignored illness that affects so many of our family members, workmates and friends. Whilst we now have a great clinical understanding of mental illness, we must pair this with a deep social understanding amongst the community and reinforce that it is both acceptable and vital to seek and offer support.

I have grown up alongside strong individuals who hit the tragic roadblock of mental illness. My work in directing an aged care facility also provided me with an insight into the ramifications of mental and neurological conditions. Rather than marginalising Australians who suffer from mental health issues, we should bring this issue front and centre in the understanding that one in five Australians will suffer poor mental health every year.

I applaud Wesley Mission for the work they are doing in hosting that conversation, and Australian Private Hospitals Association for their message that we do not need to have all the answers, we just need to start the conversation.