Dan Repacholi (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) too many Australian men are struggling with their health in silence, with outdated stereotypes stopping them from seeking support; and

(b) suicide rates among men remain far too high;

(2) recognises that the Government is delivering real support to men and boys by strengthening Medicare and investing $32 million in targeted men's health initiatives, including:

(a) $11.3 million for Movember to train 60,000 primary health workers and encourage men to visit the doctor; and

(b) $20.7 million for grassroots mental health support, including expanded funding for Men's Sheds, Ahead of the Game, Healthy Male, and the Danny Frawley Centre;

(3) notes that this builds on the Government's broader investments of:

(a) $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare;

(b) $11.6 million in men's health funding in the 2024-25 budget; and

(c) $1 billion for mental health, including more headspace centres and more trained mental health professionals; and

(4) welcomes the Government's commitment to breaking down stigma, supporting better health outcomes for men and boys, and building a stronger, fairer, healthier Australia for everyone.

Health is an issue impacting men across this country. It's no secret that men face significant health challenges, but we don't talk about men's health as much as we should. We need to do better at looking after our health, and that starts by men actually having conversations about it. Whether it's heart health, prostate, testicles, erectile dysfunction, mental health or even the common cold, men often don't take our health seriously. This means that men are dying when they don't need to. One of the easiest ways for men to get on top of their health is to book a regular check-up with their GP.

Whenever I'm speaking to a room full of men, I say, 'Put your hand up if you've seen your GP in the last 12 months.' Usually, not many hands go up at all. So we need to make it a habit to get a regular check-up. Book it in every year on your birthday. See the doctor when your car goes in for a pink slip. If your car needs a regular check-up, we do as well. And, when something does not feel right, even if you saw your doctor last month, make another appointment. If we have an issue with our car, we take it straight to the mechanic, but, when we're sick or something doesn't feel right, we wait until an arm is about to fall off before we book an appointment with our GP. That doesn't make sense. Our health is so important. Going to a doctor could save our life.

An important part of my role is debunking some of the big myths in men's health. For example, you no longer need a finger up the bum to see if you have prostate cancer. It can now be done by a simple blood test. One of the biggest deterrence for men getting checked for prostate cancer, one of our biggest killers of men, is no longer necessary.

We also need to look after our mental health. I know talking about our feelings is not something that comes naturally to everybody, especially men, but we need to normalise opening up and lightening the load that is weighing us down. Seventy per cent of suicides in Australia are men. Something isn't right. If you're struggling, talk to somebody. There's always somebody who will listen. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if there are times when you don't see it. Check in on your mates. Give them a call. Catch up for a beer or a coffee or even just send them a text message. Small things can make a big difference in so many people's lives.

As a government, we're starting a conversation about men's health. We will improve health outcomes for men through a strong focus on these issues. I'm so proud to be holding the new position of Special Envoy for Men's Health. This is the first time a government has appointed a special envoy for men's health. It shows how seriously the Albanese Labor government is taking men's health. Through this position, I hope to bring attention to the topic and help find solutions to the health issues leading to men dying far too young.

We're kicking off with $32 million to support men's health. This includes $11.3 million for Movember to provide men's healthcare training to primary healthcare workers to encourage men to see their GPs. There's $20.7 million for grassroots initiatives to support men's mental health and wellbeing, like the men's sheds initiative, the National Shed Development Program, which provides grants of up to $10,000 to individual men's sheds, and the Movember Ahead of the Game program, delivered in partnership with the AFL, which develops emotional resilience in boys and young men through sporting environments and teaches them to seek help when they need it. Funding will also go to Healthy Male to support the delivery of the Plus Paternal initiative, a program to help men prepare for fatherhood, because we know it's a massive change in a bloke's life when he's bringing new people into this world. There's also funding for the Black Dog Institute to research men's mental health and suicide prevention.

To all the blokes out there, I honestly call on you to go and book an appointment with your GP. Go and get blood tests done. We can talk in this place about mental health. We could talk about physical health. We could talk about all the health issues in the world. But, until we actually go and take that first step, see our GP and have that conversation to acknowledge that there may be something wrong with us—or there may not be something wrong, but we need to go get a blood test every 12 months to get that checked. Please go out there and do that. We owe it to our families, we owe it to our kids, we owe it to our partners, we owe it to our loved ones and we owe it to our mates to make sure we're looking after ourselves so that we can be the best dads, the best mates, the best friends that can be out there. Thank you to all the men out there.

Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

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

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion—it's not a bill; it's a motion—of the member for Hunter and to speak on an issue that is of national importance: men's health, particularly the mental health and wellbeing of men and boys. I speak today not just as a member of parliament but as a father, grandfather, uncle, brother, mate and someone who, like many of us here, has known the pain of losing someone far too soon and has dealt with the ongoing consequences of that.

Every day, across this country, too many men are struggling in silence. They show up to work. They'll pick up the kids. They'll crack a joke at the pub, but, behind all that, they're hurting. They carry burdens that no-one sees, and the saddest part is that they're often told, 'Suck it up,' and they have to carry it alone. Too many are battling with mental and physical health behind closed doors, often feeling unable to speak up or seek help. Outdated stereotypes about masculinity continue to cast a long shadow, stopping men from reaching out when they need it the most. The silence can be deadly. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australian men aged 18 to 44. That is a heartbreaking reality, and it's a national emergency that we must face with urgency and compassion.

I'm proud to be a part of a government, the Albanese Labor government, that is taking action, not just with slogans but with serious, targeted investment in men's health. We are strengthening Medicare and delivering $32 million in dedicated initiatives focused on supporting men and boys, including the $11.3 million for Movember to train 60,000 primary healthcare workers across the country and to encourage men to take the first step—visit your doctor. And it includes the $20.7 million for grassroots mental health programs—support where it's needed most—including funding for men's sheds, the Ahead of the Game initiative, Healthy Male and the Danny Frawley Centre, all of which are doing life-changing and life-saving work in our communities today.

As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Men's Sheds—something I hold very, very dearly—I have seen firsthand the impact that invaluable places of connection has in supporting men's mental health and fighting isolation. Men's Shed plays a huge part in improving the health and wellbeing of men in our community and are the perfect place to get the message out that men's health is a priority for the Albanese Labor government. Men's Shed are about more than just building things. They're about connection, community and better health outcomes for blokes. For too long, many men have put off seeing a doctor or talking to someone when they're struggling. We need to change that. Men's Shed provide a safe and familiar space where men can open up, check in with each other and access the information and support they need. The funding is about backing the incredible work that's already happening and making sure every man, no matter where they live, has a place to belong and someone looking out for them. Support at the grassroots level is critical.

In McEwen, the work of Romsey local Jack Bamford is a prime example. Jack is the founder of Fishing for Mental Health events held at Lauriston Reservoir. These events blend angling, nature and community to support men's health and wellbeing.

I'm proud to report I've taken part in these events—not that my fishing's been much chop!—and I've seen the impacts they have. They offer a chance for blokes to get together, step away from stress, get out in nature and connect with others over a simple activity. Fishing is calming; it promotes being in the moment and a sense of reflection, and small wins that build confidence. We worked with Fisheries Victoria to ensure stocked fish, and, with growing participation, these events model how simple activities can have a meaningful impact. Group settings like this foster mateship, conversation and peer support—key factors that are so important in mental health.

Jack's work in this space is making a real difference for men in our community. And there's Peter Patterson, at CTI, who developed, on his own property, a little cabin and a lake—again, thanks to Fisheries Victoria, we stocked some fish in there—where he takes veterans and first responders to meet, sit by the campfire and just relax, away from the world. They sit there, talk with professionals and get the support and help they need. This is an amazing thing he's done, and it's something that shows we can look at things outside the box and see where the opportunities are to bring the best results. It is a culture where speaking up is a sign of strength, not weakness; where men and boys are told not to tough it out but that they're not alone. Help is available if someone listens. This government's investment in mental health is more than about services; it's about a future where no man suffers in silence and no family is left to grieve alone.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hunter for this motion and congratulate him on his new role as the Special Envoy for Men's Health; I can't think of a better person to do it. Like the member for Hunter, and, I'm sure, all the speakers here today—and I think I'm the only woman, so please forgive me—I want to see the Australian government and Australian society generally do much better when it comes to recognising the health challenges men face, particularly when it comes to mental health. In my life before coming to this place I worked as a midwife, nurse and public health researcher. The mental health of new fathers in particular is something I've paid close attention to, and I'm going to focus on that today.

The health of Australian men often lags behind that of women. This is a problem not just for men. When a man becomes a father, his physical and emotional health directly impacts his children's health—especially in the early years. Yet despite an established system of prenatal care for expectant women, fathers are not included in any systemic health surveillance during the prenatal early parenting period. This is a missed opportunity for men and their families.

Pregnancy is a major stressor on the mental health of expectant fathers. It's well known that around 14 to 16 per cent of new mothers will experience postnatal depression but less well known that between five and 10 per cent of fathers will, too. Research has shown the pregnancy period can be more stressful for men than the period after a child is born. Much like women, the impending birth of a child forces a man to adjust to a change in his perception of himself, the perception of others and the real or perceived pressures of supporting a new family.

This unaddressed mental health strain on men affects their partners, too. Disturbingly, pregnancy is the most likely period for a woman to experience domestic violence for the very first time and for it to escalate for women who have already experienced violence. Yet we do very little as a society to support men's health during their partners' pregnancies. Men are far less likely than women to access health care in general, and, even if they do, they're more likely than women to focus on physical problems and less likely to disclose mental and emotional distress.

The pregnancy period, with its many health check-ups and pre-birth classes, rightly focuses on women. However, it presents an excellent opportunity to engage men about their own health as well as that of their expectant partners. But we're missing this opportunity. In my former life as a rural health researcher, I conducted a large population study in Sweden and found that men with feelings of fear about the forthcoming birth of their children had barely engaged with prenatal services—and when they did they received scant recognition from the health system. When I replicated this research in regional Victoria, I found the same thing: most men were never asked about their health when attending an antenatal health check-up with their partner, nor did they consider reporting their psychological concerns to their usual GP. These men were exposed vicariously to health professionals on many occasions, but the opportunity to engage with them was missed. This is largely because the pregnancy period in Australia is still seen as just women's business. These days we talk about fatherhood as if it were a partnership—a sort of joint experience with the mother during pregnancy, birth and parenting—but this is not the experience of most people. Instead, when men encounter the healthcare system during pregnancy, they overwhelmingly report feeling peripheral at best or marginalised and excluded at worst. This is despite data showing men generally want to be more involved during the pregnancy process. The sidelining of men during pregnancy not only misses a chance at early mental health intervention but exacerbates the gendered nature of parenthood once kids arrive. Everybody loses.

I'm really pleased to hear about the Plus Paternal funding that the member just discussed. But I'd like to say that a father-inclusive model of antenatal care could start with one key policy intervention. Our first step should be the introduction of Medicare-listed mental health checkups for expecting fathers. This could be done without delay. In fact, the UK introduced a similar model all the way back in 2018. Improving men's health and therefore the health of their relationships and the prospects of their children will not be solved by a single intervention. The mental health system is woefully under resourced as it is, and allocating resources to early mental health interventions is a broader goal. This is particularly the case in rural and regional Australia. I thank the member, and I implore the government to get on with this and look at this particular intervention as a really positive step forward.

Matt Smith (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand to speak on the motion moved by my friend the member for Hunter. And I thank the member for Indi; we need to have female voices in this space as well. Can I say how important it is that the Albanese Labor government has appointed a special envoy for men's health, bringing these issues to the forefront so that we're no longer afraid to speak about them.

Too often, men's health is swept under the rug. Blokes are told to man up and stay tough. 'You don't need to talk about that. You don't need to talk about your health.' Self-medication is a problem. Guys drown their sorrows or seek answers at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon. I've had friends who've taken this route. I know where it goes. I had a look at it myself. It's scary. It's isolating. And it needs to change. More and more boys and men are feeling socially isolated than ever before. We're seeing this play out with real-world impacts as more men and boys give into sadness and the anger that comes with their social isolation. This is making men's health figures worse, not better. Here are some quick stats from Suicide Prevention Australia, an organisation which the member pointed out. In 2023, men accounted for 70 per cent of deaths by suicide. This is a statistic as scary as it is shocking. It is not just men's lives that are ruined by that but also the lives of everybody they touched. This is even more stark when you consider that, for some groups of men and boys, the statistics are even worse.

In 2023, suicide was the second-leading cause of death of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. Many don't know, but, in culture, if a body is not interred immediately, it calls out. So you can end up with suicide groups within a single community. These are devastating and can lead to months and months of sorry business. In 2022, suicide overtook land transport accidents as the leading cause of child death. This shows that the age-old approach of, 'She'll be right, mate,' is not working for many boys and men across the country.

It's not just suicide though; men's health is falling behind on all measures. I can guarantee that, if you stop to think about it, you know one bloke who thinks they can just tough it out. You might be the bloke who thinks you can just tough it out. They won't see a doctor about the pain. They won't go to get stitched up. They don't talk about being lonely. They won't do proactive testing for things like prostate cancer. One of my friends is currently going through cancer treatment. He found out because he saw his GP. They got it early. I get to keep my friend now. If he'd have taken that old school route, they'd have caught it when the symptoms arrived, and it would have been too late.

There is no more space for stigma, keeping men away from the health care they need, especially as getting health care when you need it can be tough in regional and remote places at the best of times. We need men to step up, like the member for Hunter has, and break down the stigma men have about opening up about their health. Men need to have that conversation with other men they respect.

The Albanese Labor government is serious about building a stronger, fairer and healthier Australia for everyone, and men's mental health is a big part of that. Since coming to government, we have been delivering real support to men and boys by strengthening Medicare and investing $32 million in targeted men's health initiatives. This has included $11.3 million for Movember. Not everyone likes the moustaches, but Movember is a good cause. It trains 60,000 primary health workers and encourages men to visit the doctor. As well, there is $20.7 million for grassroots mental health support, including expanded funding for men's sheds, Ahead of the Game, Healthy Male and the Danny Frawley Centre. Let's not forget Labor's investment of $8.5 billion in strengthening Medicare and $1 billion for mental health, including more headspace centres and more trained mental health professionals.

Locally, that has translated already into an operational Medicare urgent care clinic in the south of Cairns—soon one will be open in the northern suburbs as well—and a headspace Plus so that young man can get the help that they need before they head too far down that very, very dark road. I congratulate the member for the bill. I thank everyone who is speaking on it here today.

Sam Birrell (Nicholls, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, too, would like to thank the member before Hunter not only for bringing this motion forward but also for his friendship. It's an honour to co-chair Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health. This is a place that I think all of us recognise can be a difficult environment to work in, and these relationships that we have across the aisle are important so that we look after our own mental health in this place. This doesn't mean that I'm not going to disagree with some of the Labor policies of the member for Hunter, but having that contest of ideas and doing that in a friendly way is an important part of what we do here.

As has been said by previous speakers, 3,000 lives are tragically lost every year to suicide. Approximately 75 per cent are of men, and that has touched us all. It has touched me in my electorate of Nicholls. Some very notable people took that option, and the sadness that's left behind and the impact on the community can't be overstated.

I think we've seen an increase in the challenges around mental health since the COVID pandemic. I get that it's easy to look at this stuff with hindsight, but I do think that we need to look at the way in which some states, particularly my state of Victoria, approached that particular issue in terms of lockdowns and, perhaps, the mental health issues that were not being addressed when the more physical issue of the COVID pandemic was being addressed. The Morrison government did put forward funding for 20 Medicare subsidised mental health sessions. That has been reduced to 10. I think that's a regrettable step. I've had professionals tell me that they think that that should be reinstated to 20 Medicare funded mental health sessions.

In terms of what I see in my community, what does positive mental health, particularly for men, look like? For me, there are three aspects of it. It's physical health, it's mental health and also, if I can put it this way, it's financial and purposeful health. In regard to physical health, many people might know that I've been on a mission to train with every football-netball club. I have trained with 44 clubs—half netball, half football—and you can see people's mood lift as the endorphins are released and people do this exercise together. It has a great impact on mental health because of the togetherness. We can look in particular at Victoria and the way in which the netball and the football come together. It means that the whole community comes together and issues such as domestic violence can be addressed. I've seen that very positively, particularly in the community of Yarrawonga, which has had this approach towards ending domestic violence, with both the men and the women of their community—the netball players, the football players—in the room together.

In my view, mental health is lifted by the arts. Music—or whatever your form of art is—is an uplifting experience and is very important for our mental health. If young men have a purpose, meaningful work, the ability to support themselves and their families, and a contribution to a business and to a community, that helps. The reason I mention those sorts of things is that I think that, if we can enable physical health through supporting community sport and community sport infrastructure wherever we can; if we can support mental health through the arts by supporting not just the arts that might be a bit more elitist—not that there's not a place for that—but also community arts, where committee members, whatever their level of talent, can become involved and express themselves that way; and if we can also focus on that strong economy, competitive in the world, we will have businesses like agriculture and food manufacturing in my electorate that give young men and young women that sense of purpose and that sense of hope that there's a future for them, there's earning potential, there's camaraderie with work colleagues and there's all of the positive mental health outcomes that that brings.

I thank the member for Hunter. I look forward to working with you through this term in the Parliamentary Friends of Men's Health. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun doing it and, hopefully, will spread a good message.

Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I speak on an issue that has historically gone unspoken in this place and in homes, workplaces, footy fields and pubs across our nation. That issue is men's health, and gives me great pleasure to be in the chamber with my very good friend the member for Hunter, the very aptly appointed Special Envoy for Men's Health. You're doing a fantastic job, mate.

While we've made great strides in medical research, in expanding services and in breaking down barriers, there is still a painful truth that we must confront: too many Australian men are struggling with their health in silence. Too many are fighting battles physical, mental and emotional without support, without understanding and without the tools they need to seek help. Tragically, far too many are dying because of it. We know that men are more likely to delay going to the doctor, more likely to downplay symptoms and more likely to believe they just need to tough it out or to man up. But being strong does not mean being silent. It's okay to be not okay.

In Australia today, silence is costing lives, as suicide remains the leading cause of death of Australian men aged 15 to 44. Every day, we lose around seven men to suicide. That's seven families torn apart, seven communities left grieving and seven more reasons to act with urgency and compassion. That's why this government is taking action to change the conversation around men's health and to change the outcomes for men and boys across Australia. We're doing that by investing in early intervention, building safe and accessible services and dismantling the outdated stereotypes that stop too many men from reaching out. This year, we have committed $32 million to targeting men's health initiatives. That includes $11.3 million for Movember—maybe not my strong suit but definitely the member for Hunter's!—an organisation that has transformed awareness and action on men's health for more than two decades. This funding will help train 60,000 primary healthcare workers so that, when men do walk through the door of a GP, they are met with professionals who understand their needs and how best to support them. As well as this, there is $20.7 million in grassroots mental health programs because we know the most effective support often happens outside traditional settings. We're expanding funding for trusted committee organisations like men's sheds, Ahead of the Game, Healthy Male and the Danny Frawley Centre, which work with men where they live, work and play, from local sports clubs to regional towns. These investments are not a one off. They're part of a broader health and mental health agenda that this government is delivering.

We're investing $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare, including cheaper medicines, more bulk-billing and better access to GPs. As well as this, $11.6 million specifically for men's health was allocated in the 2024-25 budget. There is over $1 billion for mental health services, including expanding headspace centres for young Australians, especially in Gawler in my electorate of Spence, and growing our mental health workforce so people don't have to wait or go without help. We are helping men who might never have spoken to a psychologist get help at their local footy club. We're helping fathers open up to their sons and look out for their mates, and we're helping blokes in small towns take that first vital step by saying three powerful words: I need help. We're doing it while making the system more affordable and more accessible for all Australians. You shouldn't have to be wealthy or live in a major city to get the quality health care you need.

Breaking down the stigma isn't just a campaign; it's a commitment. It's a promise to men and boys across the country that we see them, that we value them and that help is just around the corner. It's about shifting the cultural landscape so that talking about your health is a sign of strength, not weakness. It's about building a country where no man feels like he must suffer in silence. When we support men's health, we strengthen families, we strengthen communities and we strengthen our nation. This isn't just a men's issue; it's an issue for our society. Whether it's the dad struggling after a job loss, a teenager facing anxiety at school, the veteran coping with trauma or the retired tradesman navigating illness. Every Aussie bloke deserve support, dignity and the chance to live a full and healthy life. I welcome this government's leadership in delivering that support. I commend all organisations, health workers, community volunteers and families who are walking alongside our men every single day. By investing in better health outcomes for our men and boys, we are building something bigger: a stronger, fairer and healthy Australia.

Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to thank the member for Hunter for bringing forward this motion on men's health and men's mental health. Last year I had the privilege of being at the launch of Movember's annual report into men's mental health, The real face of men's health. It is a report well worth reading. I commend the work that Movember have been doing for a very long period of time and the inroads more recently they have made into men's health and men's mental health.

The report, though, is confronting. We stood in that room, and Mark Butler gave a very impassioned speech. I followed him with a similar speech about men's health and men's mental health and how we all agree in this place that we need to do more in relation to both of those, that we should work together and that good, healthy men become part of a good, healthy society. I spoke about domestic violence as well. Mentally healthy men are in healthy relationships, and it makes a difference.

Despite all agreeing in a bipartisan fashion that this should occur, governments on all sides have failed over a long period of time in relation to the funding for men's mental health. In this year's budget—and I commend Labor for doing this—there was an additional $550 million for women's health. That takes the contribution in this budget to nearly $900 million for the National Women's Health Strategy 202-2030, but the former figure is from this year alone. Men's health is $70 million. It is a fraction of the funding for women's health. There is something significantly wrong there. We need to look at that as a government and not point fingers but say, 'What are we going to do to improve that outcome and the outcomes of men's health going forward?'

Let's face it: we've probably got ourselves to blame in some circumstances. We live hard sometimes. We don't look after ourselves. When something does go wrong, we say, 'It'll go away, and, if it doesn't go away, I'll get to the doctor's sooner or later.' We take one those old adages. 'Toughen up. Have a cup of concrete,' et cetera. We need to change that way of thinking.

More importantly, I do want to talk about the suicide rates in this country. Three out of four suicides are men. That's nearly 3,000 a year.

I'll get through this. I've got it. After the last election, I met up with a mate and had a beer. I'd known him for 25 years. We had a laugh, and, a week later, he took his life. I didn't see it. I didn't see it coming. We need to be able to identify these things and be able to talk to each other as men. He was a great bloke—ex-copper, lawyer. He had everything going for him, kids—everybody loved him. He was the first one to offer his hand. He was the quintessential Aussie larrikin, but, as a lawyer, he was a consummate professional.

That's the problem. We won't talk to each other. I sat with him a week before, and all he talked about was me winning the election. I wish he'd talked about how he was struggling, because we could have made a difference. So we have to look after each other. We have to do more. I commend the member for Hunter for bringing this on. Thank you.

Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Cowper on behalf of all honourable members for that very powerful contribution. The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.