Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister update the House on how the government is supporting the mental health of young Australians, including many in my electorate of Boothby, through headspace centres? How do running a strong economy and sound budget management ensure that these measures are not placed at risk?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Boothby, in particular for her advocacy for endometriosis, along with many members of this House, and as well as that for her support for youth mental health and for headspace. She's been accompanied by people on all sides—the member for Chisholm and the member for Franklin. In my first conversation with Dave Sharma, he raised headspace and youth mental health. But this is something which is supported by people on all sides.

As she says, it is critical that we have a strong economy in order to deliver these services, which is how we've been able to deliver a $5 billion increase in Medicare funding this year and a $30 billion increase in funding for hospitals and, of course, continue to list new medicines. One of the absolutely critical things that we've been able to do, though, is to support more funding for headspace. Only yesterday, the Prime Minister joined with the member for Boothby and the Leader of the House, who played such an important role in the establishment of headspace, in announcing an additional $51.8 million for headspace services.

We know that in any year one in four young Australians will face a mental health challenge, and that means that this issue is of critical importance to every member of this House and to every young Australian. All of us, in our electorates, in our friendship groups and in our family groups, have had to deal with the challenges of youth mental health.

Yesterday's funding extends, for the 107 headspace centres around the country, that funding by $39 million. It means an additional 14,000 services a year, 56,000 services over the course of four years. It also provides additional capital for upgrading those facilities. As well as that, it also includes $12.8 million for eheadspace services, which means that young people, when it's the dark of the night and the moment of crisis is with them, are able to seek that help and are able to get that help which can make the difference between tragedy and having a pathway forward.

That is why, shortly after I came into the role of health minister, I went with Pat McGorry to Grafton, where there had been a suicide cluster. We saw the need. The member for Page set out the importance of a new headspace service for Grafton, which we've been able to deliver and which I understand has had real impact in helping that local community. These things matter. They can literally be the difference between whether a young person is able to go forward or faces that moment of crisis, so this announcement is about saving lives and protecting lives.