Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

October is Mental Health Month, last week was Mental Health Week, and Saturday, 10 October, was World Mental Health Day. Sadly, in just one week approximately 49 people will have committed suicide and approximately 1,490 will have attempted suicide. In 2013, suicide was the leading cause of death of children between five and 17 years of age—a tragic statistic. These are startling statistics to contemplate.

At a dinner I recently attended for Hunterlink Recovery Services I was confronted with further statistics. Hunterlink Recovery Services is a unique employment assistance program that provides support and counselling 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At the dinner I listened to speakers candidly discussing their mental health journey. One journey was that of a man from the Hunter Region, my region—a family man, a hard working man who worked in the coal mines. This man needed help, not with his physical health but with his mental health. Thankfully, this man was not another statistic. He was strong enough to seek the services of Hunterlink and was able to be assisted.

Hunterlink was formed by Paul Karras, who, with the Maritime Union of Australia, noticed a need for support, recovery and welfare in the maritime and related industries. With the support of the unions, some very progressive employers, and the community, in five short years Hunterlink has grown from a small mental health service provider in Newcastle to a national service with a 24-hour hotline and an employment assistance program. The service endeavours to provide individualised support to maritime workers, maritime stakeholders, related industries and the local community. They do not turn anyone away and they are particularly proud of that fact.

Hunterlink also reaches out to international seafarers visiting Australian waters. This was recently highlighted when the coal vessel Sage Sagittarius docked in Newcastle. Hunterlink was able to provide counselling to the crew, who had lost three seafarers under very unusual circumstances. Gavin Kelso, Hunterlink's CEO, is dedicated to reaching beyond Australian waters and looking to the future, hoping to help at-risk seafarers struggling with a mental illness, regardless of where the ship is sailing.

In the past two years, mental health reform has been waning. The need for mental health support is increasing, yet we see not enough attention paid to it. Labor believes that long-term mental health reform focused on delivering a more integrated and whole-of-government approach must be a national priority that requires strong leadership. When Labor were in government, we recognised that mental health reform was needed. It was, and continues to be, a priority for us. It was Labor who had the first and only mental health minister, my colleague the member for Port Adelaide, who brought mental health to the cabinet table.

Nearly one in five Australian adults will experience mental ill health each year and nearly half of our adult population will experience a mental illness at some point during their lives. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the rate of mental illness is three times the rate of other Australians. The LGBTIQ community live with higher rates of mental illness, self-harm and suicide as well. Sadly, the rate of suicide in rural and remote Australia is 66 per cent higher than in cities.

Last Friday, Labor announced its plan for better support for people with mental illness. This plan supports the National Mental Health Commission's recommendations. In its report, the commission made 25 recommendations and Labor has committed to the recommended target to reduce suicides by 50 per cent over the next 10 years. We will do this through a comprehensive tiered approach that sets incremental targets to reach a final target of reducing suicides and suicide attempts. If elected, Labor will ensure that those living with mental illness and their carers who do not receive a package of support through the National Disability Insurance Scheme still receive the support and care they need. I pay tribute to the work of Senator Jan McLucas in this policy area, and can I say how excited I am that my friend Senator Katy Gallagher was appointed to the shadow cabinet in the role of shadow minister for mental health. I am sure she will do a great job building on Senator McLucas's legacy.

The annual cost of mental illness in Australia has been estimated to be between $20 billion and $60 billion a year, including lost productivity and labour force participation. We can reverse this by giving people the support they need, when they need it. Thankfully, organisations such as Hunterlink Recovery Services are there to give support where needed. However, more needs to be done. Mental health needs to be a priority for the federal government—it was when Labor was in government and it will be when Labor is, hopefully, re-elected.

I pay tribute to the work of Hunterlink, other organisations, trade unions such as the MUA and employer groups who support these very important programs. They are literally saving people's lives every day. I conclude with a comment that ex-NRL player Dan Hunt made on the night: 'It is not weak to speak.'