Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

October was Mental Health Month—a time to remind ourselves that mental health touches every part of our lives. It's a part of every family, friendship and community. This year's theme, Taking Steps on Your Wellbeing Journey, is such an important reminder that mental health isn't about one big moment. It's about the small steps we take, the conversations we start, the habits we build and the support we reach out for along the way. Those steps look different to different people. For some, it's finally talking to a mate. For others, it's showing up at a men's shed, calling for help from Lifeline or accessing services like headspace. Every step counts and every step forward deserves to be recognised. We all know someone who has struggled—a friend, a colleague, a neighbour or perhaps even ourselves. For too long, mental health has been seriously stigmatised. The reality is that mental health is health. It deserves the same care, attention and compassion we give to every other part of our wellbeing. Mental Health Month is about starting conversations. More importantly, it's about continuing them. It's about building communities where people feel supported all year round—where taking the first step, or the next one, is seen as an act of strength.

Recently I visited two fantastic men's sheds in my community, at Strathmore and Moonee Ponds. They are two remarkable groups that are supporting men's mental health. Men's sheds are more than workshops. They are places of belonging where conversations happen naturally over the workbench, and friendships are formed with shared purpose. For too many men, especially older men, loneliness can creep in silently. Work ends, routines change, loved ones are lost and suddenly the days get quieter. Social isolation is a major risk factor for poor mental health, and men's sheds tackle that head-on. They offer connection, purpose and mateship, often in ways that feel natural and safe. I'm proud that the Albanese Labor government continues to support men's sheds. We recognise that connection and prevention start in local halls, community groups and sheds just like these.

I've also had the recent opportunity to meet with the new CEO of Lifeline, Graham Strong. Lifeline has been answering calls from Australians in crisis for more than 60 years, offering compassion, understanding and hope. Each call is a chance to save a life. It takes extraordinary dedication to listen, care and help someone see a way forward. The volunteers and staff of Lifeline are the quiet heroes of our mental health system, and their work deserves recognition and support.

In Maribyrnong, the Albanese Labor government is boosting access to vital mental health services with a $6.2 million investment to open a new headspace in Moonee Valley. I've spoken about this project a lot, and I will keep speaking about it, because it's such an exciting and important initiative for my community. Headspaces provide free wraparound support for young people aged 12 to 25, covering mental health, physical health, alcohol and drug support, and study and work pathways. As a qualified child and youth psychologist, I know how powerful early support can be. Giving young people help before the challenges escalate can really transform years of silent struggle into a chance to thrive.

This new centre is part of the Albanese Labor government's $1 billion investment to expand free public mental health care through Medicare, making it easier than ever before for Australians to get the support they need when they need it. I recently caught up with our local primary health network to get an update on where things are at, and it's coming along quickly. They let me know that there will be more updates in the coming months and that the process is moving along swiftly, and I'm keen to keep my community in the loop every step of the way. Young people in Moonee Valley have been waiting far too long for this service, and I'm determined to see it delivered as quickly as possible.

I also want to touch on the government's work to protect young people online. We cannot talk about mental health without talking about the impact that social media is having on our kids. I recently held a social media forum with Minister Wells for local parents and teachers in my community. We heard powerful stories from two bright young students in my community about why these social reform changes are necessary. Netasha spoke about how social media began shaping her identity long before she even knew who she was—how the constant comparison, the created perfection and targeted content left her feeling smaller, not stronger. Hayden spoke honestly about what many young men are experiencing—platforms deliberately targeting their insecurities and pulling them into toxic, hypermasculine content without them even realising it.

These aren't isolated stories. They're happening in homes, classrooms and playgrounds across Australia. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive. They feed insecurity. They amplify anxiety. They expose kids to content they simply aren't ready to navigate.

That's why the Albanese Labor government is introducing world-leading minimum-age reforms for social media accounts, giving kids a crucial additional 36 months before they're thrown into the online world that can profoundly shape their self-esteem, their relationships and their mental health. This is about giving young people the time to build resilience and real-world connections first, it's about giving parents some peace of mind that the algorithm isn't raising their children and it's about putting responsibility back onto the platforms that have profited from our children's attention without keeping them safe. We can't out-parent an algorithm, and kids can't outwit one. These reforms help give young people, including Netasha and Hayden, a better chance to grow, learn and thrive offline before facing the pressures online.

We know our mental health system has some deep structural problems, we know the workforce shortage is real and we know reform won't happen overnight. But, just as we are doing with Medicare, housing and climate action, we're getting on with the job and fixing what's been broken for too long. Reforming mental health care isn't something you can fix in a single budget with one announcement. It takes time, coordination and genuine partnerships across government with the workforce and, most importantly, with people who have lived experience.

We're continuing to build a mental health system that is public, coordinated and fair—a system that backs early intervention, supports the workforce and makes sure care actually reaches the people who need it. Our billion dollar investment will deliver 31 new upgraded Medicare, mental health centres, 20 new youth specialist care centres and eight new perinatal mental health centres, and we're creating 1,200 new training places for clinicians and peer workers because none of this works without the people who deliver the care. On top of that, we've committed an additional $361 million through our stronger Medicare reforms, including $163 million for a new National Early Intervention Service that anyone can access for free. Our government is committed to getting this right for the long-term.

We can't talk about mental health without talking about suicide. As a co-chair for the Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention, I co-hosted an event in September to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. We heard from Suicide Prevention Australia's leadership and from Leesa Mountford, who turned her family's tragedy into advocacy and hope for others. Her story reminded us that behind every statistic is a person, a life lost, a family grieving, and a community forever changed. The Albanese Labor government's National Suicide Prevention Strategy takes a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach, tackling health, economic and social drivers of distress. Listening to lived experience must remain at the heart of policy and service delivery.

Earlier today, I attended a briefing from Dr Alex Hains, the head of the National Suicide Prevention Office. He walked us through the new National Suicide Prevention Strategy and the early development of the National Suicide Prevention Outcomes Framework, the tool that will help us understand what's working, where the gaps are and where support needs to go. It's evidence based, compassionate reform and exactly the direction we need to be heading.

Mental Health Month and its theme of taking steps on your wellbeing journey is a reminder that mental health wellbeing touches every part of our lives. It is about compassion, community and connection. It's about recognising every step, big or small, that someone takes to look after their mental health. It's about building a country where no-one feels ashamed to ask for help and where care is available, when and where it's needed. The Albanese government is investing in reform, but the heart of this work lives in our communities, in our Lifeline volunteers, in our men's sheds, in our mental health workforce and in the courage of those who share their stories. So, as we head towards the end of our parliamentary year, let's keep taking those steps. Let's keep the conversation going. Let's reach out, listen and support each other because mental health is everyone's business, and together we can make sure no-one faces it alone.

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