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

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that men's mental health remains one of the most pressing and under-discussed health challenges in Australia;

(2) notes that every day, an average of seven Australian men take their own lives, lives that could have been saved with earlier support and connection;

(3) acknowledges the ongoing stigma that too often stops men from reaching out for help when they are struggling;

(4) calls on all levels of government, business, and community leaders to continue promoting awareness campaigns, education, and workplace initiatives that make it clear that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness;

(5) encourages men everywhere to check in on their mates, their workmates, and themselves and to make use of the great services available; and

(6) affirms that mental health is not just an individual issue but a community one, and that when men are supported to speak up and seek help, families and communities right across Australia are stronger for it.

Deputy Speaker Lawrence, before I begin, you might be wondering why I'm standing here today in what is probably the brightest and boldest suit parliament has ever seen. I want to assure you that I didn't lose a bet and I'm not on my way to a fancy dress party. I'm wearing this TradeMutt and TIACS suit because it's designed to do exactly what it's done all day. It makes people stop, it makes them look and, most importantly, it makes them talk. This suit is part of a movement called TIACS, which stands for This Is A Conversation Starter. Today I'm proud to wear it so we can start a very important conversation about men's mental health.

TIACS was created by two tradies, Dan and Ed, who are here today, who lost a mate to suicide. They wanted to make sure other men did not slip through the cracks, so they built something simple and practical. TIACS is a free mental health support service for tradies, truckies, miners, farmers, apprentices, hospo workers and, really, anybody doing it tough. They offer free counselling by phone and text from qualified mental health professionals. There are no waiting lists, no referrals, no costs and, most important of all, no judgement. A bloke can be in a ute, in the smoko shed or at home, and they can reach out straightaway. The number is printed on their gear, so help is right there in front of them, and many are using it—they really are. TIACS has had more than 50,000 conversations. That's 50,000 moments where somebody chose to talk instead of staying silent. This is what saving lives really looks like.

The motion we are debating today recognises that men's mental health is one of Australia's biggest health challenges. Every day we lose an average of seven men to suicide, and that's seven families that are shattered, seven communities that are carrying a loss that should have never happened. Too many men feel they have to tough things out and sort things out alone. As many as two in three avoid getting help because of old ideas about what strength looks like. We know where that leads. We see it in hospitals. We see it in relationships and in funerals that come far too soon.

I know what it feels like to hit rock bottom because I've been there myself. When I missed the 2000 Olympics and 2002 Commonwealth Games teams, it knocked me harder than I expected. I questioned my self-identity, my confidence and my future in the sport I loved. When I missed out on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the struggles came back again. I was lucky enough to have people who pushed me and talked to me and talked me through and pulled me through those tough times. That's why services like TIACS are so important. They speak the language of everyday workers and make asking for help feel normal. TIACS proves that when support is simple and safe men will reach out, and TIACS proves that every single day of the week.

The Albanese Labor government is committed to improving men's health as well. We are investing $7.8 billion in mental health and suicide prevention from 2025 to 2026. We're expanding free support, strengthening digital care and making Medicare easier to access. We also have the National Men's Health Strategy guiding long-term action to help men live healthier lives and live longer. On top of that, we are delivering targeted programs like support for men's sheds and mental health programs in sporting clubs. We have also brought in the role that I'm in, the Special Envoy for Men's Health, and I couldn't be prouder about this government bringing something like that in.

But government cannot do this all alone. We need workplaces, clubs and communities looking out for each other. We need men to know that reaching out is strength. So today I want every Aussie bloke out there to hear this clearly. You do not need to wait. You do not need a referral. If you are struggling, please, please reach out. Call TIACS. Text TIACS. Talk to somebody who understands. And, if you notice a mate acting differently, check in on him. Ask him how he's going. You don't need to say anything fancy. Just be there. Have a conversation.

When men get help, families and communities get stronger. That's why I'm wearing this suit today—not to stand out, because I already do, but to really start a conversation. TIACS does that every day and saves lives because of it. I want to thank Ed, Dan and Jess from TradeMutt; Sue and the team at TIACS; and the tailors—Sam and the team at Urbbana. I commend this motion to the House.

Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

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

I second the motion, and I reserve my right to speak.

Leon Rebello (McPherson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about men's mental health, the silent killer which too often sits behind a brave face. Three in four lives lost to suicide are men's. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australian men under the age of 44, and, among young Australians aged 15 to 24, one in three deaths is suicide. These are not statistics. They're sons, brothers, mates and fathers—lives that were cut far too short. These numbers are heartbreaking, and we truly are in a mental health epidemic. Data shows the proportion of deaths by suicide is edging down. However, reductions in suicide are too often replaced by increased substance abuse. If a man's pain only changes its mask from a rope to a bottle to a pill, we've shifted the ledger, not healed the person.

Important national frameworks were set in motion under the coalition: the National Men's Health Strategy and the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. These frameworks are now moving through the system, but they require ongoing backing, proper resourcing and consistent review if they're to deliver what they were designed to achieve. We must also be honest about the intersection between the NDIS and mainstream mental health systems. Roughly one in 10 NDIS participants enter the scheme with the primary psychosocial disability supports that are essential for their stability. With that being said, I want to point out the importance of offering both support and a meaningful pathway to recovery for these participants.

Constituents in my community have told me about the NDIS's tendencies when it comes to participants transitioning to work. Participants who are recovering, able and longing to get into work and contribute are being shot down within the system. We know that work, routine and social connection are some of the best ways to support recovery and mental wellbeing. Yet participants in my community tell me they're being explicitly discouraged from re-entering the workforce. These are people in recovery who are ready to move forward. Yet NDIA planners are making them second guess their progress, reinforcing dependence instead of providing support.

As reforms continue, we must ensure Australians with complex needs do not lose access to essential supports. If the pathway to therapy becomes harder, or if services become less viable to deliver, the outcome will not be savings. It will be more people in crisis. This brings me to my point. At a time of record demand, we've seen the number of Medicare subsidised psychology sessions halved from 20 to 10, leaving a massive gap in support. That's why, while I welcome government members recognising the urgency of mental health, I must ask: what are we actually doing to meet the need? Awareness is important. Education is important, but recognition without reform is not enough. The solutions needed are practical, not radical. While it's vital that the government has the support systems in place for those who need it, a very large piece to this, particularly in men's mental health, is having the courage to speak up and recognise when to seek support.

As a community, we must support men where they already are—on work sites, in offices, football fields and surf clubs—so that the first conversation does not have to be in a waiting room. We must make early intervention real in schools, in TAFEs and in universities, ensuring there's no wrong door and no dead end. Mental health must always be a national priority, and the test of a commitment to this will not be through words spoken or through dollars invested. It's whether in a moment of crisis an Australian can get the meaningful and effective support that they need. Right now, unfortunately, far too many can't. I'd like to say to anyone who's listening to this speech or who's reading it: anyone who's asking for help is not weak; they are courageous. You're needed, you're loved and your life has immeasurable worth.

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

I rise this evening to support the motion by the member for Hunter. Men's mental health is an issue of national importance. It's one where we should all be working together to deliver better outcomes. We see it all around us, no matter where we are. Men show up at work and they support their families. They crack a joke, and they put a smile on faces. But when they turn away from the world, they struggle. All too often, they struggle alone day after day, year after year. The struggle becomes a fight—a fight against an enemy only they can see. It's in their own mind. Since we were boys, we've always been told to just 'man up', and that's what we do. But, sadly, it often can be too much to bear. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australian men between the ages of 18 and 44. As many as two in three men forgo mental health support, and around half believe avoiding a health check-up is normal.

These are national problems that we should talk about, and I'm proud that this government is supporting the mental health of Australians, no matter where they live. Our government, the Albanese Labor government, supports a range of mental health and suicide prevention services to support all Australians, with an estimated $7.8 billion in funding in 2025-26 across the Health, Disability and Ageing portfolio. Under the Strengthening Medicare program, $1.1 billion is being invested in mental health. We're expanding services, employing extra clinicians and reducing waiting times for young people seeking mental health care. These steps are consistent with what the National Men's Health Strategy 2020-2030 said. The government has recognised that there are five key priority issues: mental health and wellbeing; chronic conditions; sexual and reproductive health and conditions; injuries and risk-taking behaviour, which we've all done; and healthy ageing. With these issues front of mind, we are committed to the goal that every man and boy in Australia is supported to live a long, fulfilling and healthy life.

We must break the stigma that still sees men's support and men's mental health being shunned, and that's why we've got to continue to make this a top priority for our government. It's why our government is investing $11.3 million for Movember's Men in Mind training and GP campaign, $7.4 million for Movember's Ahead of the Game program, $3 million for the Healthy Male's Plus Paternal initiative, and $2 million for the Black Dog Institute to research men's mental health and suicide prevention at the Danny Frawley Centre for Health and Wellbeing. The funding will strengthen support networks. It expands professional training and bankrolls crucial research into future policy decisions.

We've got to single out the additional $8.3 million committed to Men's Shed to expand the health and mental health initiatives. As chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Men's Shed, I've seen the benefits of having a space for men to connect. Sheds give men the place to start having a healthy conversation and to do that with their peers. When a man feels healthier and more connected, this has a ripple effect throughout the rest of his life. When we help individuals, we help their partners, children, friends, family and all those who depend on them. Sheds also play a huge role in helping younger men feel comfortable about speaking up. When older men talk openly about their health or their own struggles, it destigmatises the conversation. Down the track, if a young man is struggling, he feels able to reach out. At the end of the day, sheds save lives. We must continue to work to break down the stigma that prevents men from seeking help. We must keep building a culture where speaking up is a sign of strength not one of weakness. We need to do better at this, and governments of all levels—state, federal and local—need to continue their support.

Our government is working tirelessly to support men's mental health. Every day that a genuine conversation happens, a man stops suffering in silence. These things happen on a daily basis, and we've seen the work that's been done by our Special Envoy for Men's Health, the member for Hunter—I'm glad he wore that suit because I reckon I'd look like the Partridge family bus if I'd put that on!

We see that work happening, but it also happens locally as with Jack Bamford, a local bloke from up in Kyneton. If you talk about rough lives, Jack's had two rolled into one. But rather than sit back and wallow, Jack started a men's mental health fishing day. It's a great thing to be involved in. We all just go fishing. You sit down, you relax, you can talk about it, and there's professional help and support there.

Suicide is a scourge. It's touched every one of us—I know that myself. But everything we can do to help to make lives better and to bring a better outcome is something that benefits our entire community. So speak up. Don't think it's a sign of weakness. Use your strength. Use your arm. Use your voice. We've all got two ears and a shoulder to lean on. Let's use them, because that's the way we get a better country for our future. So I commend this motion to the House.

Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 19 : 28