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

It was absolutely a privilege to host the member for Hunter in Hasluck in his role as Special Envoy for Men's Health. He brings his rich background as a tradesman, small business operator and Olympian, and he approaches men's health with a practical focus on access, prevention and engagement in a colourful way in which only a man of that background possibly can. Over the course of a very busy day, we visited Bassendean Men's Shed, had a little detour to the Last Crumb cafe and had lunch by the river. Then we visited the Midland Medicare Mental Health Centre, Moorditj Maaman Men's Group in Midland and the local business AES Equipment Solutions in Hazelmere, and then we were off to the Swan Districts Football Club and then community venues at Alfred's Kitchen and the Stirling Arms Hotel in Guildford.

The Bassendean Men's Shed provides community spaces where men can work on practical objects, share skills and maintain social connections. The men there are masters at creating the most beautiful wooden bird boxes and community bench buddy seats. They repair people's loved homewares, and of course this is complementary to the peer support they provide each other. The men's sheds I've visited across my electorate all promote wellbeing amongst their members and are always fascinating places to visit and have a yarn. Sadly, men die younger than their female counterparts in Australia, but this does not have to be the case in 2026. For those who missed the session, the member for Hunter challenged the Bassendean Men's Shed members to book yearly check-ups with their doctors and undertake prostate cancer screening, which now is only a finger-prick blood test. He also asked each member to have the same conversation with their brothers, their sons and their sons-in-law. As the member for Hunter said, with his typical frankness and clarity, 'If we can create a culture where boys go with their dads to the GP in the same way girls go with their mums, we might start to shift the culture around self-care for men's health too.'

The most striking thing about the new Midland Medicare Mental Health Centre is the way that it provides a free, accessible mental health support service. It's a walk-in model, and it's designed to reduce barriers to care. From the moment you arrive, you're greeted by a wonderful person at the front desk who will simply ask what type of support you might be looking for and then will direct you to the right area, and it's all very private. In fact, you can even walk in without even providing your name. You volunteer as much information as you're in a position to share and willing to share. From that point on, whether you need a counsellor, art therapy, group therapy or perhaps some more serious assessment and support with psychology, it is all available, and the hours are fantastic––from early in the morning till late in the evening, seven days a week. People, no matter where they come from, don't even actually need a referral or a Medicare card to access the Midland Medicare mental health support service, and the issues that they're dealing with can simply be relationship issues within the home or within the workplace. Examples that we heard were around anxiety issues, gambling and drinking. These things can be treated, and support is there for everybody to access. Men too often have an 'It'll be right' attitude, which the member for Hunter, when he visited the service there, committed to challenging. The ability to walk in and receive help without an appointment—without a Medicare card, even—absolutely demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to the care that they need when they need it.

It was an absolute privilege to introduce the member for Hunter, as the Special Envoy for Men's Health, to the Moorditj Maaman Men's Group. Moorditj Maaman provides a culturally appropriate space for supporting the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal men and families in the Midland area. Programs focus on cultural connection, mentoring, community participation and holistic wellbeing. They also are very well regarded—and getting quite a fabulous reputation—for singing and teaching lullabies in Noongar, ensuring that connection to our youngest generation is created.

Uncle Frank spoke to us about respect, relationships, reflection and responsibility, and, together, the whole group discussed how connection is the opposite to addiction. We talked about difficult subject areas, and the member for Hunter acknowledged that the rates of suicide for Indigenous men are higher in Australia than for any other demographic. He underlined the importance of community groups—just like Moorditj Maaman—building connection and belonging, to address the social isolation that can lead to suicidal ideation.

Group members spoke about the profound effect the Moorditj Maaman Men's Group has had on their lives and the connections it's created—through the leadership of Jon Blurton, in particular, but all of the longstanding friendships that have been forged through the group were clearly evident. They spoke about Jon's kindness and his dedication to community. Providing a sense of belonging and community, the Moorditj Maaman Men's Group has helped so many to forge a better path. I commend Jon Blurton, Sharon Gough and the Indigo Junction team for supporting this initiative.

AES Equipment Solutions operates a major workshop facility in Hazelmere. They service mining and industrial equipment needs across the state. It's a familiar space for the member for Hunter, who visited there in his capacity as Special Envoy for Men's Health. The member for Hunter addressed the workshop floor and called out the reality that men are often disciplined about maintaining and servicing their equipment and vehicles, for a 5,000- or 10,000-kilometre check, but they're much less disciplined about looking after themselves. He spoke about the importance of breaking the taboo on speaking about men's health within the workplace. Strong leadership in a workplace is critical to creating a supporting environment and ensuring that tradies, particularly on a workshop floor, are working at their absolute best and are focused on the task at hand. AES general manager Alex Cooper spoke to the importance of workers looking out for each other. So often, young men carry the weight of depression without saying a word, and it's colleagues on the workshop floor who are often the first to notice something amiss. He spoke about how you can see it on their face, in the way they look at you, and you don't actually have to even hear it being said.

Both Alex and the member for Hunter spoke about asking, 'Are you okay?' and listening to the response—seeing if you can make a difference in someone's life by providing a lifeline and being the first step in your workmate seeking the help that they need. The member for Hunter made the salient point that, in many workplaces, there is still a culture of silence, a stigma around mental health and a fear about sharing concerns. He really encouraged everyone on the workplace floor to look for the unofficial leaders, and then he called on those unofficial leaders to go above and beyond for their workmates by challenging themselves to step up and get training in mental first aid to maximise that help that they're already providing on the workshop floor.

As a proud patron of the mighty Swan Districts Football Club, I did my bit to recruit the member for Hunter to the club, at least as a supporter—although many of the members were asking him to try out in the ruck. We met the coaches, players, executives and staff there on the hallowed grounds at Bassendean, and the dedication and love for the game was really clear. One of the newest recruits was even from the member for Hunter's home town, so I think we almost got him to convert. It was great to hear his pep talk to the team about keeping physical health at an optimum but also about how having a high performing team relies on your mental performance, too—and that also needs a coach. Under the leadership of President Peter Hodyl and CEO Jarrad Wright, players are encouraged to utilise their support networks regularly, not just when times are tough. I'm very proud to be the co-patron of this club, where both the physical health and the mental health of players is front of mind.

When you come to Hasluck, if you hear Lisa calling out 'bacon burgers', 'CRAMS', 'Alfred's special' or 'pea and ham soup', you know exactly where you are: you're at Alfred's Kitchen. Alfred's Kitchen in Guildford is 80 years young and a very well-known landmark. It's run by locals Daniel, Neil and Jenny Lawrence—a namesake but not related—and it absolutely does make the best burgers in Australia. It also provides an organic space of connection. The moment it starts to get a bit cooler, we all get together and celebrate community around the fire pit. I know Dan has rated it as the best burgers in Australia.