Senate debates
Tuesday, 16 October 2018
Motions
Suicide
4:07 pm
Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I move:
That the Senate—
(a) notes that:
(i) Australia's suicide rate is a source of anguish and outrage with 3 128 Australians taking their own life in 2017 – this represents 262 more deaths than the previous year, or 9 per cent higher than 2016,
(ii) the Australian Bureau of Statistics has released alarming national data that shows intentional self-harm is now ranked the 13th leading cause of death, moving up from 15th position in 2016,
(iii) in 2017, suicide was the leading cause of death among people aged between 15-44 years, and the second leading cause of death among those 45-54 years of age,
(iv) suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for males – the suicide rate among males is more than three times greater than that for females,
(v) in 2017, there were 165 suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and 162 deaths the year before,
(vi) in 2017, suicide remained the leading cause of death of children between 5-17 years of age, with 98 deaths occurring in this age group – this is a 10 per cent increase in deaths from 2016, and
(vii) in 2017, approximately 80 per cent of intentional self-harm deaths had co-morbidities mentioned as contributing factors to death – mood disorders, including depression, were the most common mentioned condition with intentional self-harm, followed by drug and alcohol disorders;
(b) recognises that behind every suicide statistic is a person who is cared for and loved, with family and friends left devastated by their loss;
(c) supports specialist counselling service Lifeline's urging of the Federal Government to set a national suicide reduction target; and
(d) calls on the Federal Government to:
(i) set a national target to achieve a 25 per cent suicide reduction over five years, and
(ii) appoint a Minister for Mental Health.
Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I seek leave to make a short statement.
Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The government's target for suicide is zero per cent. The idea that 75 per cent, or over 2,200 deaths per year, is acceptable is simply not acceptable to the government. The Minister for Health and the government have elevated mental health to be one of the four fundamental pillars of the long-term National Health Plan. Both the minister and the government regard mental health as inseparable and a central part of the Health portfolio and would regard such a separation as both a downgrade of mental health and a potentially damaging separation of mental health from physical health.
Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I seek leave to make a short statement.
Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones to suicide today and every day. Labor adopted the National Mental Health Commission's recommended target to reduce suicide by 50 per cent over 10 years at the 2016 election and has remained committed to that target since. We know that a robust target, backed by real resources from all levels of government, and an effective plan that supports long-term reform is what is needed to drive change. Today, we again call on the government to adopt the National Mental Health Commission's target to reduce suicide by 50 per cent over 10 years. Labor is proud to have had a minister or shadow minister for mental health since 2010, reflecting our dedication to this crucial issue.
A division having been called and the bells being rung—
Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Is leave granted by the chamber to cancel the division and the call of the motion being carried will stand?
Leave granted.
Question agreed to.