Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Suicide Prevention Australia puts out some pretty harrowing research. One piece of research is really relevant as we close this year: cost-of-living and personal distress. For 'middle wage, middle age' workers, it has tripled in the last 12 months. There's an alarming level of distress with cost-of-living and debt pressures for all Australians having risen since last December to 46 per cent of the population. The organisation's quarterly Community Tracker notes that nine in 10 Australians believe that social and economic circumstances will pose a significant risk to suicide rates. This is alarming as we move into the Christmas period, which we know is a difficult time of year for many Australians. Time and time again, organisations have told me the Albanese Labor government is just not listening and not acting on their concerns, and one big thing that would help people struggling right now would be the return of the Medicare funded psychology sessions that this government cut in half, from 20 to 10. It is approaching 12 months since the health minister did this, and Australians are calling for action from the Albanese Labor government, particularly at this time of year.