Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures one in five Australians report having a mental or behavioural condition, while the prevalence is highest among people aged 18 to 24; and

(b) data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggests that 54 per cent of people with a mental illness do not access treatment;

(2) congratulates the Government for its engagement with the mental health community and for its measures to support mental health in Australia including:

(a) additional investment of $170 million in mental health programs in the 2017 budget including $80 million to maintain community psycho-social services for people with mental illness who are not eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, $11.1 million to prevent suicide in specific locations where it is a frequent occurrence, $15 million to support mental health research initiatives such as the Thompson Institute on the Sunshine Coast and $50 million for mental illness prevention and support for serving Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families; and

(b) investment of:

(i) $9.5 million to expand mental health first aid training in 14 high risk communities; and

(ii) $9.1 million to support rural telehealth services for mental health and the appointment of the first National Rural Health Commissioner;

(3) encourages the Government to continue this focused work and to seek additional ways to support the mental health of Australians; and

(4) further encourages anyone who believes that they might be suffering from a mental illness to seek immediate help from their General Practitioner or a qualified mental health practitioner.

Last week, we celebrated Mental Health Week in Queensland, including World Mental Health Day. I'm very proud to be part of a federal government that places such great importance on the mental health of all Australians.

The government has invested an extra $367.5 million in mental health and suicide prevention over the past year. The Minister for Health and the Prime Minister have prioritised an awareness of mental health. They have spoken publicly and written about the importance of mental health very, very consistently, on occasions such as R U OK? Day and, just last week, at the World Mental Health Day event held by Soldier On. The government has responded to stakeholder concerns by investing $80 million to maintain community psychosocial services for people with mental illnesses who don't qualify for assistance through the NDIS scheme. The government has invested $15 million to support mental health research initiatives. These include Orygen's National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health in Melbourne and the Centre for Research Excellence in the Prevention of Anxiety and Depression, led by the New South Wales Black Dog Institute and the Hunter Institute. Indeed, in my own electorate of Fisher the federal government has provided $5 million for research and clinical treatment in relation to dementia, suicide prevention and youth mental health at the Thompson Institute.

Cutting-edge research is critically important, but smaller-scale practical changes can also make a big difference. That's why the government is spending $11.1 million on crisis-help signage, and infrastructure such as barriers to deter suicide attempts at locations where they repeatedly occur. I think that we can do much more in the electronic space as well; I'll have more to say about that in times to come.

Rural and regional mental health is a particular challenge, and one that's very important for me. The federal government has committed $28.9 million to open an additional 10 headspace centres in regional and rural communities, including in Gympie, in the member for Wide Bay's constituency. We have invested $9.5 million to expand Mental Health First Aid training in 14 high-risk communities. The federal government has committed $9.1 million to support rural telehealth services for mental health, to overcome the challenges in getting access to services.

The mental health of our veterans is vitally important to us all. The federal government commissioned a National Mental Health Commission review into suicide and self-harm prevention support available to serving ADF members and veterans. The government responded to that report with a comprehensive package of measures to offer better support. In 2016, the federal government made treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and drug and alcohol misuse free for anyone who had served a day in the full-time ADF. In 2017, the federal government invested $33.5 million to expand that program to cover all mental health conditions, regardless of whether they were related to the veteran's service.

The federal government invested a further $8.5 million to expand eligibility for the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service to the partners and children of our contemporary veterans and many former partners of ADF personnel. We also are providing $9.8 million to pilot new approaches to suicide prevention and improve the care and support available to our veterans, and there is a $6 million investment for Phoenix Australia to improve our understanding of mental health challenges and develop better treatment for our veterans and the wider community.

One issue about mental health that is not spoken of enough is that of eating disorders. Only a couple of weeks ago, the federal government announced a $3 million package for a crisis care call centre for people suffering from eating disorders. I know firsthand that eating disorders are an insidious disease. Diseases like bulimia and anorexia have the highest mortality rate of any psychosocial issue or illness, and I am very proud to be part of a government that is trying to do its best in resolving those issues.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for this motion?

Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak of the four million Australians experiencing mental health issues. Due to stigma, many will not seek the treatment they need and, if they do, they may not be able to access the treatment they urgently require. One in five Australians are affected by a mental health issue during their lifetime and the annual cost to our community is estimated to be around $20 billion. Last year, the number of Australians who died by suicide is 2,866 and 15- to 24-year-old suicide accounted for over one-third of those deaths. We need to do more to prevent the tragedy of suicide and the impact on family, friends and the community who are left behind. Sixty-five thousand people attempt to take their own lives every year in Australia, which is about 180 each day. These statistics are just heartbreaking. We need to do more to promote acceptance of mental health issues and encourage people affected by mental health issues to seek treatment and reduce the stigma associated with it.

I welcome the awareness programs that promote mental wellbeing. Last month, I was proud to attend the R U OK? Day hosted by Samuel Terry Public School, a primary school in my electorate—the only primary school to take on such an initiative. I commend principal Mr Lockley and parent Natalie McPherson, who is a mum at the school. They wanted the kids at Samuel Terry to ask their family and friends 'Are you okay?' in a meaningful way, and to let the kids know that it's okay not to be okay and where to go for help when they are not okay. There were great guest speakers, including Julie Graham, the crime prevention officer; Linda Baumgartner, the youth liaison office at Penrith local area command; and Shafee, a student from Cranbrook high school, who composed a song that he rapped to for all the students, along with former NRL player, Joe Galuvao.

World Suicide Prevention Day asked everyone to take a minute to change a life, asking Australians to speak up, to take time and to listen. Headspace Day, which we recently celebrated, supports one in five young Australians and asks us to share what we do when we're not feeling great and to share a tip for a healthy headspace. I am into dancing in my socks in the kitchen—you get a lot of good movement around your kitchen floor in socks—and I listen to loud music or go for a run when my knee is up to it. For anyone looking for tips, I commend those. Headspace operates within my electorate and has a youth early psychosis program. On average, 66 people per month over the last four months have sought treatment and help. This program offers full clinical support, including psychiatric services, and supports 15 per cent of at-risk young people.

There are many worthy community-based organisations, such as beyondblue, the Black Dog Institute and the Butterfly Foundation just to name a few. Proudly, on 28 October, as the member for Fisher alluded to, I will be attending a Butterfly Foundation event to be run by Lilly Joyce that will seek to spread awareness of eating disorders through the 'Walk for Hope' along the Nepean River. Almost one million Australians are battling an eating disorder and 20 per cent of them will end up losing their lives. This is the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and these community-based, awareness-raising events are commendable.

I would like to thank both of the men's sheds operating in my electorate. The men's shed in Orchard Hills, with Tony Hudson at the helm, and the Penrith men's shed in Caddens, with the Reverend Neil Checkley, have a combined membership of about 150 men currently. One of the secrets to the men's sheds is that they are not overt in the way they provide mental health services and supports. Their members attend for a number of reasons, and it's a great way for men to come together with the opportunity to do something, reach out and talk to someone and be distracted from anything that is overwhelming them. Once again, we're seeing community organisations rising to the challenges.

Labor established the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with unprecedented support for people living with serious mental illness, and the National Mental Health Commission and the Primary Health Networks. But mental health is a massively underfunded area of medicine in this country, particularly in Western Sydney, where 575,000 kids are affected by clinically significant mental health problems. Our kids are experiencing mental health disorders such as ADD, anxiety, depression and conduct disorders, and no-one wants these kids to go without being able to access the treatment they need.

I want to go to a story that came across my desk. In my electorate, a young constituent, aged 13, presented to the Nepean emergency department accompanied by one of his parents. He was referred to the mental health unit. His parents sat with him in the waiting room, and he was sat next to somebody in their prison greens and a shifty guy who kept looking at this young man. He'd been brought in there because he'd written a suicide note to his parents. He'd been withdrawing from school for some time. Two months after he first presented to my local hospital, he was still on the waiting list to receive services. We have no clinical psychiatrists for any young people in my electorate, and waiting lists for those that are there are beyond two months. We have a problem in Western Sydney when the doctors are telling people to go to a different hospital. (Time expired)

Llew O'Brien (Wide Bay, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Fisher and acknowledge his strong promotion of good mental health. It's often said that mental health is a collective responsibility—for individuals, for our community and for society in general. We need to look after ourselves and each other, and the government needs to ensure there's adequate funding for programs that support and improve mental health and care for those who need support.

As noted in the motion, one in five Australians reports having experienced a mental or behavioural condition, with the highest prevalence being amongst those people aged between 18 and 24. What's also concerning is that research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggests that 54 per cent of people suffering from a mental illness do not access treatment. It's in everyone's interest to work to improve our nation's mental health statistics, and it's certainly everyone's responsibility.

In the last 50 years, our knowledge of mental health conditions, their causes and how they can be treated has emerged from what can only be described as the dark ages. In this time, we've come from a world where only the most complex and serious cases of mental illness were recognised, and they were treated with rudimentary treatment and, usually, institutionalisation. This treatment fed a perception in society that any form of mental illness was a life-long condition that robbed a person of the ability to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and make a contribution to their community.

Today, we are much better informed and absolutely know this is not the case. We have a much better understanding of the very broad nature of mental health, both in type and severity. We understand how damaging the negative stigma associated with mental illness is and we need to prevent it. We understand that prevention and early intervention are key to improving the mental health of our nation. We know that today in Australia more than a million people are experiencing depression and more than two million people are experiencing anxiety related conditions. We know that one in six women and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime. These numbers increase when we talk about anxiety, as one in three women and one in five men are likely to experience anxiety in their lifetime.

A recent Deakin University study estimated that the cost of high-prevalence mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse, stands at $12.8 billion per year in health and social costs.

I'm sad to say that Wide Bay has an over-representation when it comes to both suicide and poor mental health. But I am pleased the government has recognised this and is taking action to deliver the funding and initiatives needed to tackle these issues at the local level. In Wide Bay, the National Suicide Prevention Trial is being delivered by the region's Primary Health Network, and will focus on Gympie and Maryborough, with a particular focus on men. The PHN is receiving $1 million per year from 2016-17 to 2018-19 for suicide prevention trials. The PHN has been engaging with local communities to better understand current services and to identify opportunities for service integration. Community forums have been held in Gympie and Maryborough; suicide prevention action plans are being developed for the area; and a working group comprising local service providers, community representatives and people with a personal understanding of suicide has been established to inform the trial.

I'm also pleased to confirm that the coalition government will fund a new headspace service in Gympie, which is expected to be operational in July 2018. headspace is an incredibly valuable service which assists young people with mental health issues. The PHN has received $366,000 in 2017-18 to establish Gympie's headspace, and will receive another $350,000 in 2018-19 and each year thereafter for service delivery. The PHN will commission Gympie's headspace service through United Synergies, which also runs StandBy—Support After Suicide, a suicide postvention program which helps people bereaved by suicide.

We all need to do everything we can to lower suicide rates in this country and eliminate the stigma associated with mental health.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Nick Xenophon Team) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion moved by the member for Fisher. According to the Black Dog Institute, one in five Australians will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. Mental illness touches every Australian family, whether it be a father, an aunt, a daughter or a son. One in two people do not access any treatment. Mental illnesses are the third leading cause of disability burden in Australia, accounting for an estimated 27 per cent of total years lost from the workforce due to disability. Approximately 14 per cent of Australians will be affected by an anxiety disorder in any 12-month period. One in 50 Australians will experience some kind of eating disorder in their lifetime, with women nine times more likely than men to experience eating disorders. Around one in 20 Australians will experience substance abuse disorders in any 12-month period, with men more than twice as likely as women to have substance abuse disorders.

We know that the prevalence of mental illness decreases with age, with the prevalence greatest among 18-to-24-year-olds. The transition from high school to further education or the workforce is one of the greatest transitions a person will face, and so it comes as no surprise that young people struggle with mental health conditions and with anxiety around that move. What does come as a surprise is this government's response.

Instead of looking to strengthen mental health support services, this government has sought to cut funding. I note that the member for Fisher made reference to the government's budget commitment of $80 million to maintain psychosocial services for people with mental illness who are not eligible for the NDIS. In my discussions with mental health groups, including the Mental Health Coalition of SA, it is clear that the National Disability Insurance Scheme will only support 58,000 of the 489,000 Australians who suffer with a severe mental illness. That's just 12 per cent of those diagnosed who will be supported by the NDIS, which means $80 million has been set aside to support 88 per cent of Australians who have a severe mental illness. It is just not enough; the numbers do not add up. Some of the programs that are being defunded as the NDIS rolls out are: Partners in Recovery, which has 12,500 participants; Personal Helpers and Mentors, also known as PHaMs, with over 20,000 participants; Day to Day Living, with more than 8,000 participants; and, significantly, Mental Health Respite: Carer Support, which has over 40,000 participants. That is more than 80,000 participants—in programs that will no longer be funded.

Today I met with Catholic Social Services, who were particularly concerned about how people with mental health issues will be supported once these programs cease. They and I are deeply concerned for people living with serious mental illness who would not be supported in an NDIS package. Catholic Social Services believe those living in regional and remote Australia will feel the loss of services the most. Again, it is a concern I share, and I think every member who looks after a regional or rural electorate must share those concerns.

My electorate office is in a town called Mount Barker. It is a rapidly growing area. It has lots of young families, and so I see firsthand when services are not there. Recently Young Mayo worked to gather signatures for a petition for a headspace centre in Mount Barker. As you know, headspace provides support services for young people aged 12 to 25. The need for a headspace in Mount Barker was one of the first issues raised by Young Mayo with me, and they have gathered over 500 signatures in our community.

While yet to be allocated a full headspace centre, we were thankful to secure an outreach service from headspace Murray Bridge, which will provide support services for young people five days a week. Such is the demand for services that they've already been booked up years in advance and they're not advertising. This seems to be a deliberate strategy so they don't have longer waiting lists. Clearly, we have a great demand, and this demand is not being met. I'll continue to advocate for Young Mayo and all of the young people across the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu who need a fully supported headspace centre.

While I join the member for Fisher in encouraging the government to seek additional ways to support mental health for Australians, I do not believe the government is doing enough at the moment. This government needs to get real when it comes to mental health, and the $80 million promised is really a drop in the ocean compared to what's needed.

Funding for mental health saves lives. This is not something that should be tacked onto primary health. It is just as critical as primary health, and GPs in my region should be able to get people to a psychiatrist, when needed, as easily as they can refer someone to a knee surgeon. This is not happening at the moment. GPs are highly stressed talking to me about this. We are failing our community every day this government does not act to do more for people with mental illness.

Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank my team Queensland colleague, the member for Fisher, for the motion he has moved today—a motion that both congratulates the Turnbull government on its record of mental health funding and encourages all governments to do more. By any measure, this government is prioritising mental health. This government is prioritising the very real mental health needs of many vulnerable everyday Australians, including our Defence Force veterans and those isolated by distance.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that 45 per cent of Australians will experience some form of mental health disorder in their lifetime. That's 7½ million Australians—69,000 people in my electorate alone. More disturbingly, 54 per cent do not access treatment.

Today I join with my colleagues to congratulate the government on its highly focused and targeted approach to mental health funding in the 2017 budget to broaden the scope and accessibility of mental health services and help to address this disturbing figure. This government has consulted with the sector, asking those delivering mental health services on the front line where the service gaps are. And now we're addressing them—an additional $80 million for mental health services for those not eligible for the NDIS; an additional $11.1 million to prevent suicide in the very locations crying out for more help; $50 million to assist our Defence Force members, veterans and families; $9.5 million to expand mental health first-aid training in communities that need it most; $9.1 million to support rural mental health services and the appointment of the first National Rural Health Commissioner; and an additional $15 million for mental health research benefiting organisations like the Thompson Institute—to which my colleague, the member for Fisher, also referred—which is in our home region of the Sunshine Coast.

The Thompson Institute will provide a better understanding of the underlying neurobiology of mental health disorders, leading to the development of treatments for disorders and not just their symptoms. This is essential to the holistic and multifaceted approach to dealing with mental health in Australia. And the government is acting—it's acting fast.

The National Mental Health Commission's final report into suicide and self-harm prevention services available to current and former serving ADF members and their families was delivered in March this year and received over $50 million in funding in the budget. There are approximately 3,200 veterans and their families living in my electorate of Fairfax. All are set to benefit under this initiative. Mental health disorders account for the third most prevalent burden of disease or cause of premature death in Australia, just behind cancer and cardiovascular disease. I commend the work being done by organisations such as headspace, R U OK, the Black Dog Institute and men's sheds. They all work tirelessly to educate the community and help end the stigma surrounding mental illness. The work of organisations like these—thousands of them registered right across Australia—stand to benefit from funding announced by the Turnbull government. In fact, all Australians benefit.

Better understanding as well as targeted and early treatment of mental health disorders reduces the burden on the health system and helps prevent the slide into homelessness, poverty and substance abuse which so often goes hand in hand with untreated mental health disorders. But it can't stop here. We must continue our support, funding crucial research and funding specialist prevention and support services for those with mental illnesses. We must continue to ask, 'Where can we do more? How can we do more?' It's easy for the stresses of life to overwhelm us all at times. No-one in this country, no-one in this building or this chamber, should ever feel that there is nowhere to go. I urge all feeling this way to reach out, because help is available.

Justine Keay (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to echo the comments of the previous speaker in relation to support that is available for people should they need it. I have to thank the member for bringing this motion forward, because it's an issue that is very close to my heart. In saying that, I have a dream in relation to mental health services and support in this country. It's probably a bit of a utopian dream, but it's something that I think we should all strive to achieve in order to support our fellow Australians when they need support for mental ill health. That dream is to ensure that every Australian, regardless of where they are or their background, can access psychological support and counselling support anytime, anywhere and that it is affordable and accessible. Far too many times I hear that people in my community have to wait to get psychological support, and that is not good enough. It is totally not good enough. If you're feeling anxious or depressed and you are reaching out for support, you need that right away; you cannot wait on a waiting list to receive that. That's just not good enough. I want to see this country invest in mental health to ensure that no-one has to wait.

I think we need to look at it as an investment. We look at health in some respects—preventive health in particular—as an investment in the economy of our country. The impact of mental ill health in our workforce has a huge impact on productivity. I welcome the work that the Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council have put in place to ensure that mental health for their workforce is supported. They have developed a blueprint for that, and I know there are other people within the mineral and energy sector in the country that are also having a focus on mental ill health in their workforce. TMEC, the Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council, acknowledge that mental ill health has a huge impact on workplace productivity through absenteeism and presenteeism, and increases the rate of accidental injury in the workplace—something that we should all strive to ensure never happens. It has a huge impact on families, and I'd like to acknowledge those families that may have someone they love within their family who is suffering mental ill health. It is Carers Week this week, and we should not forget those people at all.

It's great to see the commitment of the minerals and energy sectors in Tasmania to ensuring that their workforce is healthy and safe, but we need to do much more to realise my dream and in particular to reduce the stigma of mental ill health. I note the funding the government has provided in this year's budget, particularly the inclusion of funding for veterans' mental health, which is absolutely welcomed. Veterans are suffering from PTSD and from the trauma of being in a conflict or in peacekeeping times even. We have for far too long forgotten this group of people. We need to be there to support them in every way we can. We need to acknowledge that as those veterans transition into civilian life. Even for everyday Australians' mental health, the support that should be provided is not something that we should shy away from.

It's also pleasing to note the number of Labor policies in this space that the government has adopted. There were election commitments made for additional headspace centres—and I welcome one in my electorate in the city of Devonport in my home town—and 12 suicide prevention sites, which the state of Tasmania very much welcomes as well. But the government has fallen short in relation to its claim during the last election to make mental health a pillar of its national plan and it has failed to deliver in this year's budget. The budget has fallen well short in meeting the needs of our community and certainly in meeting what my dream is.

Unfortunately and sadly, completed suicides are increasing in this country. We need to do far more about it. We need to also ensure that the suicide prevention trial sites are extended well beyond 30 June 2019 because in my state they have only just announced the target group. We're a year into those trials. We need to ensure that those trials are extended for a further duration of time so that we can collect the necessary data from that. I thank the member for bringing this motion forward.

Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise in support of the member for Fisher's motion and to recognise the contribution so far of other speakers who have also spoken about this very important issue. The statistics outlined in the motion are truly worrying and are worth repeating—that one in five Australians report having a mental or behavioural condition, especially those aged 18 to 24, and that it is also believed that over half of all people with a mental illness don't actually access treatment. With these figures it's important that the government continue to act to support the mental health of Australians. We can do this, of course, through funding, including the $170 million in mental health programs in the 2017 budget and the additional $367.5 million since the election. Overall this year the government has invested more than $4 billion in mental health services and driving reforms to support the mental health of every Australian no matter who they are, where they live or the nature or stage of their illness. I do commend these initiatives, but I also want to place on record how mental health can often be about more than headline funding figures.

Mental illness is often complex, personal and unpredictable. For young people in particular it can be hard to know when and who to turn to. We are fortunate to have services such as Lifeline offer anyone experiencing a personal crisis access to 24-hour support and suicide prevention services. I urge anyone listening who may need to reach out to call them on 131114. I also urge young people, particularly those on the Central Coast, to consider walking into a headspace centre if they feel they do need some help. A key focus of this government's reforms on mental health is to put the needs of individuals at the centre of our mental health system with localised services. That's why I'm pleased that we are expanding headspace, the youth walk-in centres, taking the total number of headspace centres to 110 by 2019.

Partnering with headspace we're committed to reducing suicide rates through regional trials, research and flexible models that work in our local communities. One of these trials is happening right now at headspace in Gosford. Around 12 months ago we launched the individual placement and support trial, known as IPS, which is a new initiative aimed at better supporting young people with a mental illness to find and to keep a job. Recent trials have found that people with mental illness are three times more likely to secure a job when supported by the IPS approach. I've already been told that there are some great results. While it took some time for sites to recruit the right vocational specialists to deliver the employment support, I'm advised that by July this year there were over 360 trial participants across Australia, including many in Gosford, and these numbers are growing significantly.

I'd like to end with a few remarks about the importance of supporting our veteran community. Next week, from 21 to 29 October, is Veterans' Health Week, and the theme will be physical activity. This week is an opportunity for veterans, war widows, widowers and current and ex-Australian Defence Force members and their families to improve and maintain the health and wellbeing of themselves and their friends. I met with many of our veterans representatives on the Central Coast recently, and I'm pleased to see that there are many local events taking place, many of which have been registered through the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

The week kicks off with a barbecue on Kincumba Mountain on the 21st, starting at 10 am, organised by the National Servicemen's Association working closely with the Vietnam Veterans, Peacekeepers and Peacemakers Association on the Central Coast. It's open to everyone. There are plans for walks in the surrounding bushland and group activities like yoga, social cricket and badminton. Activities will be organised for all levels of ability. The Terrigal-Wamberal RSL sub-branch is organising a veterans bike ride on Thursday, 26 October at Long Jetty, cycling up to Chittaway Bay. The sub-branch is then heading to the gym at the Crowne Plaza at Terrigal on 25 October for a guided tour of the fitness facilities, followed by a light lunch. Woy Woy RSL Krait Day Club plan to take a walking tour of the many pathways along Barangaroo.

It's great to see that, on both a national and a local level and for youth and our older veterans, the Central Coast is acting to support people with a mental illness. As somebody who suffered greatly as a result of very severe and sustained bullying in my early 20s as a result of a workplace situation, I know the importance of reaching out early and I know how difficult it can be to do so. I commend the services that are available to young people, in particular, these days, and I commend this motion to the House.

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd also like to thank the member for Fisher for raising the important issue of mental health and its significance across Australia. It was only last week that we recognised Mental Health Week, with World Mental Health Day on Tuesday, 10 October, a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. The theme for this year's global day was mental health in the workplace. World Mental Health Day was first established on 10 October back in 1992. Since then it's been an important event that highlights mental health education, awareness and advocacy.

The numbers are stark, as we've heard, when it comes to Australians living with mental illness or disorder. A recent national survey of mental health and wellbeing found that one in five Australian adults have had a mental disorder in the last 12 months and that almost half the total Australian population would experience a mental disorder at some time in their lives. This is the reason why it's so important we address the issue. It affects so many Australians, particularly young Australians. One in four young people are living with a mental health disorder, with suicide the cause of one-third of all deaths of young people. That's why mental health services like headspace are so critical to communities across Australia.

Last week, on national headspace day, like many of my colleagues I had the pleasure of visiting a local headspace centre in Inala. I'm proud to have had a long association with headspace in Inala, since they first opened their doors in our community around five years ago. As the inaugural chair of the headspace committee, I was really pleased to go back and see the amazing work that is happening. It is one of 21 centres across Queensland that provide this important service. Headspace first began operations in 2006. Over 350,000 young people have used headspace centres to seek help. All the staff at headspace Inala, led by the centre manager, Tim, and the community development coordinator, Amy, perform the invaluable role of supporting our young people when they need someone to talk to. I congratulate them and thank them for their tireless efforts, and I look forward to working to support them well into the future.

Whilst I'm happy to acknowledge and support the government's continued investment in headspace centres, I'm afraid I have to inform the House that this has not always been the government's position.

It was only 12 months ago that we saw the CEO of headspace leave the role in frustration at what he described as the government's bizarre decision to stop funding headspace directly and, instead, hand control to 31 primary health networks over two years, which, it is suggested, would effectively mean its demise. The decision at the time meant that the national headspace office budget was scheduled to go from $19 million to $8 million per annum and $5 million the following year. It was also part of the Turnbull government's decision to cruelly cut funding to early psychosis intervention services by up to 70 per cent over the next two financial years. Former headspace CEO, Chris Tanti, said these changes effectively meant that headspace's national office would no longer have oversight of clinical standards, hiring of staff, consistency of care or even which centres remained open. The funding cuts meant that six early psychosis centres, which support hundreds of young people with psychotic disorders, were told that their budgets would be cut by 25 per cent on 1 July 2016 and by 70 per cent the year after. This decision casts serious doubt over headspace's successful early psychosis programs, with very little time to prepare the young people who use the services or the staff who work with them. Despite the health minister defending the decision for months after it was announced, the Prime Minister was dragged to table by the public outcry and publicly overruled his health minister on Q&A by agreeing to protect headspace centres and to finally restore funding to early psychosis centres.

Fast forward to today and we see the member for Fisher wanting to congratulate the government for its engagement with the mental health community and its measures to support mental health in Australia. Whilst the $170 million investment in mental health programs is, of course, welcomed, it does come with the government's normal approach of cutting first, reinstating and then asking to be congratulated. The government needs to be consistent in its approach to mental health funding and not threaten to undermine the incredible work that services, like headspace and all the spaces in Queensland, have already done. I witnessed that firsthand: the failed experiment of the Newman government. After being in government for a short time, it made horrific decisions affecting mental health patients, including the closure of the Barrett Adolescent Centre in Wacol, in my electorate, which has been found to have caused tragedy. There was no apology from the former government. Thank goodness that terrible experiment is over. While I'm pleased to debate this issue today, we must all remember that more can and must be done when it comes to support for mental health in this country.

Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the motion from the member for Fisher, who has been a strong advocate for people with mental health issues in his own electorate but also across Australia. People have worked long and hard to remove the stigma of mental health and mental illness and bring it into the national conversation about health and wellbeing. This is slowly happening with the assistance of organisations such as headspace, Beyond Blue, Soldier On, the Black Dog Institute and many others. Last week, we marked both headspace day and World Mental Health Day, acknowledging the importance of keeping yourself in a positive headspace and looking after your mental health at work and beyond. People today work in an increasingly stressful and fast-paced 24-hour environment. While we are perhaps more willing to discuss mental health, it is often our mental health that is neglected in the demands of our day-to-day lives.

Funding for mental health is more important than ever, particularly in headspace's target demographic of 12-to-25-year-olds. I note in particular that headspace's figures suggest that one in four young people experience mental health issues every year, making their services and support resources critical to the wellbeing of our communities. I am extremely proud of the government's support for mental health care in Dunkley, including increased funding for a number of key support services and guaranteed ongoing funding for Frankston headspace, including an additional $240,000 to enable them to be a mental health lead site. I have seen the fantastic outcomes from Frankston headspace's programs, including, for example, the Learn Engage Connect Young Parents Program that I spoke about last year and that I will be attending again in the coming weeks. Another fantastic program about to launch in Dunkley is a partnership between the Chisholm Institute, headspace, Tomorrow Man, Wesley Mission and the Life is Worth Living suicide prevention program. It will help Mornington Peninsula tradies build emotional muscle. In 2015-16, 25 per cent of all suicides in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula in the 12-to-25-year-old range were by people who were studying a trade and felt that they were in limbo after leaving school, lacking support networks that a lot of us take for granted in office-based workplaces.

The Change Your Brain program will help young men and women better communicate their emotions, learn to reach out if they need help, and provide support for those at risk. Another program launched in Dunkley through our federally-funded local drug action team will work with 95 peninsula sporting groups to engage them, to not only help prevent drug use but greatly assist their mental health. These programs keep vulnerable young people engaged locally and help them retain or recover normal lives following disruptions and changes in their lives that can derail an individual's confidence and belief in themselves to pursue their goals.

Local mental health services are a critical part of the health and wellbeing fabric that we're building on the Mornington Peninsula. Our community is constantly working to increase the personalised support and care available to secure the best outcomes for each individual who finds the courage to reach out for help. Doing so can be one of the toughest things to do when someone is experiencing mental health issues, so we owe it to our young people or, indeed, any age group to provide whatever care, support and resources they need.

Prior to the 2016 federal election, I was also proud to jointly announce with Minister Hunt the coalition's commitment to strengthening mental health care for individuals and families across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, including for veterans, young people, seniors and other demographics affected. Funding in addition to the resources committed by the government in its first term means that additional suicide prevention trial sites are established, that funding is secured for youth early psychosis services, and that targeted research and evaluation for Primary Health Networks is supported by this government's focus on looking after the mental health of not only Dunkley residents but all Australians. This has been continued and reinforced during this year's federal budget, as well as in initiatives like the Muster for Mental Health, which has been given federal government funding and which was started through Australian Rotary Health. Australian Rotary Health was itself initiated by Mornington Rotary in my electorate of Dunkley.

Support can only be provided to individuals who speak up or accept offers of help from those who can provide it. The national campaign to increase awareness of mental health issues highlighted last week did not stop after headspace Day and World Mental Health Day. I urge people to look after their mental health as they would their physical health. If you're not in a good head space, I urge you to speak up and to reach out. You are not alone.

Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to support this motion. One of the things that struck me about the inaugural speeches of the class of 2016 was how often the phrase 'mental health' came up. I haven't done the figures, but it was certainly used more often last year than it was by the new members of the 34th Parliament in February 1985, which was the first group I listened to. That is because we now recognise the magnitude of an issue that was, 30 years ago, rarely spoken of. We know that one in seven young Australians experience a mental health condition, 75 per cent of mental health issues emerge before the age of 25, 54 per cent of people with a mental illness don't access treatment, and suicide is still the leading cause of death for young Australians, accounting for more deaths of young people than car accidents.

Last month, the Bureau of Statistics revealed that 2,866 Australians died by suicide last year. We all know that figure represents an enormous loss to 2,866 families and their communities. What this shows us is that we have a lot of work to do, particularly for young Australians. The statistics demand our attention. Our personal experiences demand attention. They both warrant urgent action. I welcome any investment by this government, but I also recognise that we do need to do more.

I particularly welcome the bipartisanship on display today but, I must say, I find it hard to reconcile the fact that the speakers on the government side today, who are clearly very proud of the work being done in the mental health space, are also members of the same government that supported a postal survey that is—in the town square of Springwood, and on the screens of many a phone and tablet of my constituents—causing distress to people who thought they had conquered, or at least had under control, their feelings of self-doubt and anxiety about their sexuality and their place in this country.

Sadly, as we speak here today, more homophobic ads are aired, more unnecessary attacks occur, and another young person is made to feel like they don't belong—like they don't matter. We all know that $122 million could have been much better spent supporting these young people, not marginalising them. A responsible government, a strong government, a Labor government, would not have allowed that to happen. I certainly encourage the government to continue to seek additional ways to support the mental health of Australians, but we know that things have to happen at all levels of our society to tackle the challenges of poor mental health. Within my community, there are many local initiatives. Hawkesbury City Council, for one, deserves congratulations for its new efforts towards addressing mental health issues within the community. Simon Griffin, a young man from Bligh Park who has lived experience of mental illness, is working hard to raise awareness and share his insights with our PHN. Our PHN has just released some terrific new programs. I also acknowledge Peter Webb's efforts, as part of the Western Sydney Suicide Prevention Network, and of course there are many others.

For peri-urban communities like mine, a huge hurdle is access. The Hawkesbury, for instance, while based on the outskirts of Western Sydney, doesn't have quality public transport nor an abundance of services. The Blue Mountains, while there is a train line, are in a similar situation. The closest place to get emergency mental health care and ongoing treatment for anyone under 18 is Nepean Hospital in Penrith or services further to the east of the city. The Hawkesbury stretches out beyond Bilpin to Mount Tomah, up the Putty Road towards Singleton—that's the Hunter Valley—and north beyond Wiseman's Ferry, and it is largely rural. If you google Colo Heights to Sydney or St Albans to Penrith and opt for the public transport route on Google Maps, you're met with a 'no route found' message. There is no way for people to access the services they need, unless they are fortunate enough to drive a car and are in a headspace to drive a car. We clearly need to allow people to access crucial services in peri-urban environments.

I want to congratulate an online mentoring group that's just been launched, StartOut Australia, which recognises that people of diverse sexualities and genders are overrepresented when it comes to mental health issues like depression and anxiety. I was at the launch; there were messages from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. I want to congratulate co-founders Adam Dent and Brendan White on the research and energy that has got them to a point of coming up with something that may help peri-urban areas access great mental health support.

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.