Penny Wright (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also at the request of Senator Di Natale, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that four out of five Victorians believe mental health must be a top priority in the upcoming state election and that almost 92 per cent say regional mental health services need to be extended;

(b) recognises that mental illness in 12 to 25-year-olds is costing Australia an estimated $10 billion each year and people do not have access to the services they need; and

(c) calls on the Federal Government to fund the mental health system commensurate to the significant burden of disease associated with mental illness and to work with states in addressing chronic underfunding of the mental health system.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government is committed to building a world-class mental health system that delivers appropriate services to support people experiencing mental ill health and to their families. It was the Howard coalition government that first recognised the need to do more to support people living with a mental illness, to better support their families and carers and to invest more in mental health research. The Commonwealth spends more than $2.5 billion on mental health programs. The National Mental Health Commission is currently undertaking a review of mental health and suicide prevention programs. The review is looking at whether services are being properly targeted, that services are not being duplicated and that programs are not being unnecessarily burdened by red tape.

The review is important to ensure that services are being properly targeted and that funding is going to programs that have proven most effective. Future decisions on how the Australian government should fund mental health and suicide prevention and post intervention programs will be informed by the National Mental Health Commission's review. It is due to report to government at the end of November.

Question agreed to.