Mary Doyle (Aston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The month of October was Mental Health Month, and the Albanese Labor government is delivering more mental health services in the heart of communities right across the country. As part of our government's plan to strengthen Medicare, we made an historic $1.1 billion commitment at this year's election to deliver new and expanded mental health services that support Australians across every stage of life. As a government, we are establishing 91 Medicare Mental Health Centres offering free, walk in care from multidisciplinary teams. Our government is also creating 20 perinatal mental health centres to deliver tailored support for new and expecting parents and 17 Medicare Mental Health Kids Hubs to provide children and their families with the behavioural, social, emotional and wellbeing support they need. For young people aged 12 to 25, 203 headspace services across the country continue to play a vital role in supporting their mental health and wellbeing.

Additionally, as part of the Albanese Labor government's recent election commitment, headspace Knox in my electorate of Aston will be uplifted to a headspace Plus, demonstrating the deep understanding this government has regarding the growing need and complexity of youth mental health. Headspace Knox offers young people in my community aged 12 to 25 a welcoming environment where they can access confidential and free mental health support, health advice and general information. From early next year, we will also roll out a new national early intervention service, providing free mental health phone and online support from trained professionals. This service is expected to reach more than 150,000 Australians every year, helping people access care early before their challenges become a crisis. By expanding access to free public mental health services that meet different levels of need, our initiatives will relieve pressure on subsidised private psychology services, thus making it easier for people to get the right care when and where they need it.

Furthermore, our government is investing in the future of the mental health workforce with more than 4,000 psychology scholarships, internships and training places to ensure we have the skilled professionals required to deliver these services across the nation. Importantly, we are recognising the invaluable contributions of people with lived experiences. We are professionalising the peer workforce, establishing a new peer workforce association next year and conducting a national census to better understand and strengthen this vital part of our mental health system.

On a personal note, I have my own lived experience of requiring mental health support, back in November 2001, when my firstborn baby boy, Clancy, was around four months old. I had not been feeling myself for some time but couldn't figure out why. My new little bub, Clancy, was a dream. He slept soundly. He wasn't much of a crier. He breastfed beautifully and I bonded so strongly with him. On that level, we were doing very well as new mum and bub. But I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing. I was no longer interested in socialising or doing all the things that used to bring me joy. On one of my visits to the maternal child health nurse in my local area, she gently asked me some questions. How was I feeling? Was I getting out to see friends and family and so on? Then she got me to fill out a questionnaire, and, as it turned out, I was subsequently diagnosed with post-natal depression.

It had never occurred to me during those first few months of motherhood. In my naivety, I figured only mums with babies who didn't sleep or who cried all the time got post-natal depression. But PND can happen to any mum. It can happen to new mums or it can strike you when you've had your second baby or any other baby after that. I was very fortunate to have had the mental health support I needed at that time and was able to get through that challenging time in my life.

Every Australian deserves access to compassionate, quality mental health care no matter where they live, their background or their circumstances. We know that mental health challenges can affect anyone at any stage of life, just as they affected me 24 years ago. These investments are about meeting people where they are, providing support before crisis strikes and ensuring that no-one faces their struggles alone. Behind every policy and every program is a person, be they a parent, a child, a young person, a friend or a neighbour who deserves to be heard, supported and valued. When someone reaches out for help, they are showing courage, not weakness. Our responsibility is to meet that courage with care, to replace stigma with understanding and to ensure that hope is never out of reach.

Let us be clear that this is not just about services or statistics. It is about building a culture of compassion. It is about communities that lift each other up, workplaces that nurture wellbeing and schools that teach our children that it is okay to ask for help. It is about ensuring that mental health care is not a privilege but a fundamental right for every Australian.

We know that when mental health is supported, everything else follows. Families grow stronger, communities become safer and our economy thrives because people can reach their potential. Mental wellbeing is not just a health issue; it is a foundation for opportunity, equality and national prosperity. This government understands that when we invest in people's minds and hearts, we invest in the future of our country.

This is what leadership looks like: not turning away from hard conversations, but embracing them with honesty and hope. It is about standing beside every Australian saying: 'You matter. Your life matters, and help is available.' Together we are rewriting the story of mental health in this country to one of connection, care and courage. As we expand this network of free, high-quality services, Australians can turn to the Medicare mental health phone line or visit the Medicare Mental Health website to find the service that's right for them.

This is what it means to govern with empathy, with purpose and with a commitment to the wellbeing of every Australian, because when we invest in mental health, we invest in the strength, the resilience and the humanity of our nation. Hope is the heartbeat of a healthy society. Through these investments we are saying to every Australian: 'You are not alone. Your story matters and your future is worth fighting for.'

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