Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. I commend the member for Hunter for bringing forward this bill and for placing mental health—especially men's mental health—on the parliamentary agenda. I agree when he says there are way too many Australian men struggling with mental health, often suffering in silence, and I agree that the suicide rates among men remain too high. Mental health isn't a political issue; it's a human issue.

Suicide prevention is something close to my heart. I'm the proud patron of the Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network, and I've witnessed firsthand the incredible work this grassroots group does to support our community. It's about volunteers helping neighbours. It's about local champions offering a hand—a phone call or a safe space for a conversation. It's about local knowledge, cultural understanding and being there in the moments that count. The suicide prevention network runs community training events, school talks and early-intervention sessions, all tailored to the region's unique needs.

I want to share some sobering facts. Suicide is now the 15th leading cause of death overall in Australia. Men are three times more likely to die from suicide. And here's what really hits home: there were 500 more male suicides in 2022 than 10 years earlier. That's an additional 10 men every week. And, while I don't have the most recent data, sadly I suspect that these numbers have gone up. That's why I thank the member for Hunter; his bill is a step in the right direction.

However, more can be done, and this bill can be further strengthened. If we are truly serious about turning the tide, then we need to make the system easier, fairer and more accessible. We know that many men, particularly in rural and regional areas, struggle to ask for help. Whether it's a farmer in the middle of a drought, a FIFO worker battling isolation or a veteran facing trauma from years of service, the journey to seek mental health support is often too complex, too expensive and too slow. Everyone's mental health journey is different. What works for one may not work for another. Having affordable and accessible help across all modes is vital.

It's one thing to build up the courage to ask for help, but what happens when someone puts that courage into action and tries to get help? A trip to the psychologist can be daunting and costly. Many cannot afford it. To get a Medicare rebate, they first need to see a GP and devise a mental health plan. By the way, there is a cost to visiting this GP, because waving a green Medicare card is not the only plastic you need to see a GP in my electorate. Then, once the therapy starts, it could take several sessions just to open up, and, by the time real progress is made, the 10 Medicare rebated sessions are up. What then? They're left in limbo, forced to wait until the next calendar year, or, worse, they stop seeking help altogether.

That's why I call for this bill to be amended. This bill should be amended to restore the mental health sessions accessible via Medicare from the current 10 sessions per calendar year under the Labor government to 20 sessions per calendar year, as it was under the previous coalition government. I further seek that additions are made to the bill so these mental health plans are 100 per cent bulk-billed and can cover up to two calendar years, thereby allowing 40 appointments over two years before a return visit to the GP. This would help patients, ease pressure on the GPs, reduce admin and give people the time and space to heal. And I seek that the amounts in 2(a) and 2(b) be further increased to also include funding for the suicide prevention networks, like LifeForce training run by Wesley Mission, so that greater emphasis can be placed on local training for everyday people. The more people trained to recognise and respond appropriately to someone in need, the better.

Suicide and attempted suicide are behaviours—final acts when someone feels they've exhausted every option. The evidence is clear: access to timely and affordable support positively changes outcomes. We must remove every barrier that stands in the way. Let's do more than talk. Let's put a plan into action and save lives. I commend the bill.

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