Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government is securing Australia's future by investing in the mental health and wellbeing of Australian children and families?

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

I want to thank the member for Berowra, who, along with the member for Fenner, is the co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention. It is something that draws together all members of this House and all members in all parliaments right around Australia. One particular focus is on the mental health and wellbeing of young Australians, of children, because we know that, sadly, mental health and suicide are not confined to the adult population. So in that context, one of the central themes in the $2.3 billion National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan, which the Treasurer and the Prime Minister put forward on budget night, is protection of children.

Last week I had the privilege of visiting yourtown in Brisbane with the member for Brisbane; yourtown runs Kids Helpline. Kids Helpline provides services to hundreds of thousands of young Australians between five and 25—it is extraordinary—every year. They played an incredible role during the pandemic, they kept going and they found ways through. We were pleased and privileged to be able to support them with $26.8 million for their work in protecting our children from mental ill health and providing suicide prevention support over the coming four years. Indeed, they have an urgent intervention approach, which literally saves and protects lives. There were approximately 2,000 urgent interventions where the triage was necessary and put in place, where they believed children were at imminent risk of grievous self-harm. Their work is just something extraordinary.

Equally, as part of this support, the government is developing a national network of mental health hubs around the country—40 adult Head to Health hubs. We are not only expanding Headspace to 164 Headspace hubs for youth but are also creating 15 Head to Health kids hubs, with a $54 million investment as part of an $820 million investment in treatment centres. This is a game changer. I hope but I believe that in years to come 'Head to Health Kids' will be known in the same way as Headspace as a trusted safe space for young Australians to go in times of extreme distress.

The government has backed that with support for families who are helping children face mental health challenges. There is $111 million provided by the Treasurer as part of the mental health package for MBS or Medicare items for families to go as groups to help children who are facing crisis so the families are engaged in that treatment. All of these things together are a fundamental part of our national task of saying every child matters, every life matters and we're going to fight for every one of those lives to help protect them and to save them. When we see Kids helpline, when we see Headspace, see Head to Health and see the work of our doctors, we say thank you.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I join with the minister on behalf of this side of the House, in welcoming the increased investment in mental health, particularly through organisations like Headspace, Head to Health and Kids Helpline, and I pay tribute with the minister for the incredible work that people on the front line of these services give. It is a really tough job to receive those calls and to put their own mental health at risk by helping others, and we thank them.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I ask that all further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.