Ross Hart (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The issue of mental health, and addressing the stigma associated with issues concerning mental health, is of real concern, particularly in regional Australia. Homelessness is a scourge. Unfortunately, there is a correlation between mental health issues and homelessness. A wealthy country like Australia can and must do more to combat homelessness. However, this speech today is about two positive things that are occurring in my electorate.

Many years ago there was a wonderful piece of advertising prepared at the direction of Steven Jobs. The advertising message was iconic. Stripping away the commercial message prepared by a master communicator, the central message, in spoken word across the commercial, was as follows:

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes … the ones who see things differently—they're not fond of rules … You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things … they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.

A small group of people in my electorate of Bass have decided to do something about suicide prevention and awareness. They have crowdsourced, cajoled, inveigled and convinced a range of people to support an event which raises awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention and awareness. The event has received practical support from beyondblue, who have supplied information and materials. The spirit of the event is open to all comers, with free entry and an open mic, with poetry and musicians all providing their contributions as an open collaboration.

On the issue of homelessness, I must also highlight the efforts of another small group of passionate people called 'Launceston feeding the homeless'. This group decided that, like the issue of suicide prevention, it was not enough to sit idly by. Action was required. My constituent Kirsten established a Facebook page and started crowdsourcing donations of food and volunteers to deliver food in a public park—that is, Royal Park on the Tamar River. Again, her actions and the actions of her supporters have provided real and practical relief to people living at the extremes of our community.

There are many positive developments arising from community projects that have started in circumstances like this, with passionate people deciding that they will not sit idly by. Government must provide support at a practical level to ensure that the burden of cuts to social welfare does not fall on volunteers. A just society demands that we ensure that people do not fall through the cracks.

I urge people in my electorate to support Kirsten's passionate volunteers fighting homelessness and also to support the suicide prevention and awareness event which is to be held on Saturday, 18 February from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Greenwood Bar, Lloyds Hotel, Cimitiere Street, Launceston.