Henry Pike (Bowman, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the findings of the Australian National Audit Office performance audit Suicide Prevention Policy Development and Monitoring, which:

(a) found that the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's approach to developing and monitoring suicide prevention policy to be only partly effective;

(b) raised serious concerns about the accountability and effectiveness of nearly $1 billion in Commonwealth spending on suicide prevention programs; and

(c) found that the grant agreements examined did not include clear performance indicators to measure effectiveness or efficiency;

(2) acknowledges that around nine Australians die by suicide each day and more than 150 attempt to take their own lives;

(3) raises serious concerns of the lack of measurable outcomes and clear accountability by the Government in national suicide prevention efforts; and

(4) calls on the Government to strengthen accountability and transparency in suicide prevention funding by ensuring programs are supported by clear targets, robust evaluation and measurable outcomes.

Today marks 95 years since one of the most esteemed members of this parliament took his own life, 95 years since Major General Harold 'Pompey' Elliott unfortunately tragically committed suicide. This was one of our greatest Australians. This was a man who served at Gallipoli. This was a man who led troops at Lone Pine. This was a man who served on the Western Front. He was the highest-ranking Australian at Fromelles, he was the victor at Villers-Bretonneux and he served in the Senate here for 10 years, representing the state of Victoria as a Nationalist Party senator. And, in 1931, on this day, he took his own life. He is a demonstration that, no matter how strong, no matter how capable and no matter how esteemed an Australian may be, they can be susceptible to the risk of suicide.

In the early 1930s, we saw our highest rate of suicides ever recorded in Australia. I think it was probably due to a mixture of the Great Depression and the aftermath of the Great War. So in 1931, the year before the passing of Elliot, it was our bleakest suicide year on record—29.8 men per 100,000 took their own lives. It remains the bleakest year on record for male suicide.

But, nearly a century later, our rates of suicide across the whole population have reduced by only 25 per cent. I don't think that's good enough, and I don't think anyone in this chamber and in this parliament would agree that that's good enough when you consider all the medical advancements that we've had over the course of that century and all the advances that we've made in technology, in science and in an understanding of mental health. A 25 per cent reduction isn't good enough. That's why it's important that we're debating this today on this anniversary. It's so critical that every dollar that the federal government invests in suicide prevention counts. We need to bring to suicide prevention the same determination and the same commitment that Pompey Elliott and his generation of Australians brought to their public service and the duties that they performed for our nation.

The Australian National Audit Office performance audit into suicide prevention, policy development and monitoring found that the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's approach to developing and monitoring suicide prevention policy is only partly effective. This report has found that $1 billion in funding is failing to demonstrate accountability or a clear impact. The report also found that, four to five years after the national suicide prevention agreements were signed, the objective of reducing suicide deaths has still not been achieved. I talked about the 25 per cent reduction in nearly 100 years. In this century, we've barely seen any reduction at all. It moves around from year to year, but we're still seeing nine Australians commit suicide every day and 150 Australians attempt to take their own lives.

The grant agreements that the ANAO checked through this performance report found that there were no indicators of effectiveness or efficiency. The findings reflect deep concerns raised by families, clinicians and frontline suicide prevention workers. It simply isn't good enough, and we need to make sure that every dollar is going to count not just because it's the right thing to do by Australia's taxpayers but because 150 Australians are attempting to take their own life every single day and they are relying on us to get this right. When lives are at stake, it simply isn't good enough for the government to write checks and hope that they're going to hit the target and that the money that we are investing in this area is going to achieve the outcomes that we want. We need to make sure that they are hitting the mark.

Suicide prevention must be treated as a national priority, and it must be backed by clear and measurable federal investment. The Auditor-General has clearly found a system drifting without clear direction or proper measurement of results. We need to note the ANAO report with great interest. Taxpayers are funding program after program, yet the government cannot clearly show whether they are working. More needs to be done in this area, and I don't want that to become a partisan thing. It's been a failure of all governments for many decades. It is not good enough, and both sides of the parliament need to be doing better. I commend the motion to the House.

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

Is the motion seconded?

Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

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

I rise to speak on this motion and thank the member for Bowman for bringing it forward. It's an issue that hits close to home for too many Australian families. Suicide prevention is not just a policy; it's about real people. It's about families losing someone they love, mates losing a mate and communities trying to make sense of something that should never have happened. This House has noted the findings of the Australian National Audit Office, and it's right that we take them seriously.

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has agreed to the recommendations. The government has accepted the report. Assistant Minister McBride is working through it very carefully right now. People expect that, when we invest this level of funding into suicide prevention, it's doing what it's meant to do. They are clear about outcomes, proper oversight and a system that is working, and that's fair. At the same time, we need to be honest about what we're dealing with here. Nine Australians die every single day from suicide. More than 150 attempt to take their own lives every day. These aren't just figures on a page. These are sons. These are daughters. These are parents, mates and workmates.

As Special Envoy for Men's Health, I see this through a very clear lens. Too many of those lives are men—men who are struggling, often quietly, telling themselves to toughen up and not reaching out until things have gone too far. We see it every day in workplaces, in sheds and in sporting clubs. Men are less likely to ask for help, more likely to put it off and more likely to wait until they're in real trouble. That's why suicide prevention can't just sit in one part of government. It has to be joined up. It's about mental health services. It's also about housing, the cost of living, family support, education and community connection because the things that push people to the edge are rarely just one thing.

The Albanese Labor government understands that. Last year, we released the National suicide prevention strategy2025-2035, and we've backed that up with real investment. Since 2022-23, more than $610 million has gone into suicide prevention initiatives, including support for people leaving hospital after a suicide attempt. There has been more than $300 million invested in supports designed to be delivered by First Nations communities. Around $200 million has gone into crisis support lines like Lifeline and 13YARN, making sure someone's there when that call comes in. On top of that, there's a $1.1 billion investment in mental health services to expand access and make it easier for people to get help, which includes more Medicare mental health centres, more headspace services and new youth specialist care centres.

These are practical steps that are helping people on the ground, but the ANAO report makes an important point that it's not enough just to spend money. We need to know that it is actually working. We need clear targets, proper tracking and a better way of measuring outcomes. That's why the work of the National Suicide Prevention Outcomes Framework matters. It'll help us understand what's actually making a difference and where we need to do better.

From a men's health point of view, this is absolutely critical. If we want to bring those numbers down, we have to meet men where they're at, which means making services easier to access, more practical and built around real life. It means reaching blokes in workplaces, in clubs and in community and not just expecting them to walk through the front door of a service. It also means getting in earlier, supporting boys and young men, helping them deal with stress, relationships, pressure and change before it builds up. At the same time, we can't ignore bigger pressures people are under right now. The cost of living, housing stress, family breakdowns and exposure to violence all play a role. If we want to reduce suicide, we have to deal with those pressures as well. So, yes, this motion raises real concerns about accountability, and those concerns should be taken seriously.

The government has accepted the ANAO recommendations and is working to strengthen how programs are measured and delivered, because, at the end of the day, this isn't about ticking boxes. It's about making sure that when someone's doing it tough, they can get the help they need and what actually works for them. Every life matters. We owe it to every mate, every worker out there, every community member, every family, every brother and sister to make sure we get this right.

Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to commend my colleague the member for Bowman, who cares deeply and passionately about this issue, for moving this motion. I also want to recognise the very good work that my colleague the member for Hunter has done, particularly from a regional area perspective and particularly on behalf of men who are overrepresented in this cohort. So to both of you: I want to praise and commend the efforts that you've invested in this very important issue, because it's something that touches many people.

I want to also acknowledge that there are a number of groups in my electorate of Monash who do outstanding work: Zero Suicide community awareness, the Gippsland chapter and the people involved in that organisation; and Donna, the mother of Daniel, who has an organisation named in his honour—Daniel's Wings of Pride. My own journey through this issue started with Lifeline Gippsland as a board member many years ago in my 20s. I also served on the board of Latrobe Regional Hospital. The Flynn Ward there and the very dedicated mental health staff live with the consequences of this issue.

In my early 20s, as many young people are, I was touched by two people, Bec and John-Michael, who took their lives. Some 22 years later, I still think of Bec's little sister and John-Michael's father at their funerals. I think about how they're getting on today. Men's suicide is overrepresented in this cohort. Some 75 per cent of people who completed suicide are men. That equates to about seven men a day as of 2023. We need to do better by husbands and fathers and sons and uncles and nephews and brothers in our community, particularly in our regional communities, which are again overrepresented.

I know it's a real struggle for a number of organisations who do incredibly good work. Just last week I was in Foster at the South Gippsland Hospital. I want to praise the efforts of community and allied health professionals who do all that they can with scant resources at both state and federal government levels and with a number of obstacles in their way. They care deeply, and they're highly skilled professionals who want to make a change in this area.

The recent Auditor-General's report makes clear that what we're doing, with the best of intentions, is not good enough. We have critical gaps in how policies are designed, funded and measured. Despite close to $1 billion in taxpayer investment, there's no consistent or reliable way to determine whether these programs are actually having an impact on suicide rates. We need to have clear initiatives that don't lack clear baselines, targets and outcome tracking. We need funding agreements to meet meaningful evidence of effectiveness. We need to have a system with results that continue to make sure that there are more significant resources in clear line of sight.

Behind these findings is a stark human reality. Around nine Australians lose their life to suicide every day, with more than 150 daily attempts. That's one in five Australians experiencing mental health challenges every year. This is despite decades of focus and growing expenditure with organisations like Beyondblue, headspace—a proud initiative that I've supported along the way—and Lifeline, who do incredible work as well. National suicide rates have remained largely unchanged. I think this highlights the urgent need for a more effective approach. We cannot continue on as we are. Australians deserve a system that prioritises accountability; strengthens community based support; and measures success by lives saved, not money spent.

I know a lot of these organisations run on the smell of an oily rag. When I was involved with Lifeline Gippsland, the op shops across Gippsland would have e-waste sales and do huge amounts of fundraising to support the incredible volunteer telephone counsellors that save lives and make a huge difference every single day of the week. I pay tribute to their efforts. Headspace is a great organisation. We've got a headspace in Wonthaggi and another one in the Latrobe Valley. I am desperately fighting for a new headspace facility in West Gippsland to meet the needs of the growing population. I commend the member for Bowman and this motion.

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

Before I came to this parliament, I qualified as a child and youth psychologist. That training set me up for a career working with and fighting for people, for children and for families, and it enabled me to have a deep understanding of the impact of mental ill-health and suicide.

This area of policy is deeply personal and mental ill-health is a lived reality for many, many Australians. Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy that leaves a permanent mark not just on families but on friends, workplaces and entire communities. The numbers are stark, and we've heard every speaker on this motion today talk about the stats, and it's really important that we do. Nine Australians are lost every day to suicide, with more than 150 attempts made. But moving beyond those numbers, these are people we know. These are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends, whose lives should still be with us and whose absence is felt every single day. That's why this government has put suicide prevention at the heart of its mental health and wellbeing agenda.

We know that suicide is never just about one thing. Behind every statistic are layers of complex experiences: mental ill-health, trauma, loneliness, financial stress, housing insecurity, discrimination and more. No single agency or initiative can tackle this alone. It takes a joined-up, whole-of-government, whole-of-community effort. The recent Australian National Audit Office report made clear the need to do more to ensure suicide prevention policies are effective and accountable. The government recognises the importance of measurable outcomes and clear accountability. We are committed to making sure not just that we work hard but that our work makes a measurable difference. That's why we've already taken decisive action.

Last year we launched the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035, a comprehensive, evidence based plan for the next decade. But a strategy alone is not enough. It needs to be backed by real investment and practical action, and that's exactly what we're seeking to do. Since returning to government, we have invested over $610 million in suicide prevention initiatives. This includes universal aftercare so that anyone who has been discharged from hospital after an attempt or is in crisis is supported, not left to recover alone. We have directed over $330 million to culturally relevant, community led supports for First Nations people, including to Culture Care Connect. Around $200 million has gone to crisis support lines such as Lifeline and 13YARN so that help is always there at the most critical moments.

But we also know that the drivers of suicide go well beyond the health system. That is why we're tackling cost-of-living pressures, expanding access to affordable housing and confronting family and domestic violence, all of which are linked to suicide risk. We have made medicines more affordable, restored bulk-billing and cut student debt. Through our $1.5 billion Housing Support Program and more than $4 billion since 2022 in initiatives to address domestic, family and sexual violence, we are working to reduce the pressures that can put people into crisis.

I'm especially proud that this commitment reaches into my electorate of Maribyrnong. Young people in Melbourne's north-west will soon have better access to free wraparound support through a brand new headspace in Moonee Valley. The Albanese Labor government is investing $6.2 million over four years to establish this vital service in my community, which is expected to open in 2027. This is all part of our broader $200 million investment to deliver 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services across the country.

Headspace plays a vital role in supporting young people aged 12 to 25 with their mental health, physical and sexual health, substance use, work and study. As a child-and-youth psychologist, I've seen how early intervention can change people's lives. That is why I'm a strong advocate for headspace at Moonee Valley and proud to be working with Minister Butler and Assistant Minister McBride to deliver it. As a qualified psychologist, I know firsthand how important it is to understand what works and why. That's why this government is developing the National Suicide Prevention Outcomes Framework, led by the National Suicide Prevention Office in partnership with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

I acknowledge the member for Bowman for recognising the bipartisan approach that's needed on this, and, in my role as co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Suicide Prevention, I have the privilege of meeting with peak bodies right across the sector. There is always more to do. That is why we're working every day to build a country where help is available and affordable and is there when people need it.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to acknowledge the good work of my friend the member for Bowman in bringing this motion to the parliament today, and it's an issue which impacts on all Australians because, whether you have been touched personally by suicide or not, chances are you know someone who has. When I first came to this place, 10 years ago, the suicide figures were five people a day; on average it was three men and two women. It's now nine. Nine Australians a day take their lives. I think it's about six or seven men and the rest are women. Every day, for every one person that takes their life there are 150 that attempt to take their life—not week, not month, but every single day. Think about those 159 families and their friends and their colleagues.

I've been there. I have a personal connection. Suicide destroys families. It is so hard for families to recover once a suicide has taken place or suicide is attempted. There are plenty of good, well-meaning organisations that do their best to try and help families recover and help with bereavement. But we've got to look at why: why is it that it is now the leading cause of death for 15- to 40-year-olds in Australia? What is happening in this country that the leading cause of death—more so than car accidents, more so than cancer—for 15- to 40-year-olds is them taking their own lives, where they have got to a point in life where they have thought that it is not worth continuing on any further and that it is not worth putting their family through things any further? What have we done as a society that has developed this?

There are many reasons—a multitude of reasons. One I spoke about earlier in this place, just an hour or so ago, was the rise of pornography in this country. I led the Protecting the age of innocence inquiry back in 2020, and that committee received harrowing evidence from young kids who had been preyed upon by the porn industry, some as young as seven. The rise of pornography in this country has demonstrably led to rises in domestic violence levels. That is clear; it is beyond doubt. There are so many reasons: housing stress, job insecurity—so many reasons.

But the particular issue that the member for Bowman brings to this debate is the lack of accountability. We spend north of $1 billion a year on trying to address mental health, particularly around suicide, and yet we don't know what's working. We don't know what is working and we don't know what's not working. If we don't track those measurables and if we don't do that effectively in this place or in this government, how will we know what to spend more money on and how will we know what to spend less money on?

I would plead with this government to look more at its deliverables and look more at the accountability of what's working and what's not, because, if we don't learn those lessons, we're just pouring money down a black hole and more and more Australians will take their lives, and nobody wants that.

Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are few things more painful than watching someone you love struggle with their mental health and not knowing how to ease their pain. Too many families in our community know the helplessness of knowing that someone they love is not coping. Too many know the heartbreak of watching a friend, a partner, a child or a colleague withdraw, carry too much or lose hope. Too many of us live in fear of that phone call. We know that sometimes suicide comes with no perceivable warning. It leaves families, friends and communities reeling with shock, devastation and confusion, asking how this could have happened and whether anything might have changed the outcome. That is part of what makes suicide so deeply heartbreaking for individuals, for families and for our communities. It is not always visible and its impact reaches far.

This work is deeply personal to me and it's one of the reasons I came to this place. In Australia, we know that men are disproportionately impacted by suicide, accounting for over 75 per cent of all suicide deaths. And I have known far too many good men who are no longer with us due to suicide.

Before entering parliament, I was the CEO of Kookaburra Kids, a national youth mental health charity delivering evidence based prevention and early intervention support through peer based programs and activities. I came to that role because I understood firsthand the impact that family mental illness can have on young lives, and I believe deeply in increasing children's mental health knowledge and encouraging help-seeking behaviour. Over those years, through camps and activity days, I saw firsthand the impact those programs had on young people. I saw friendships form, I saw little eyes light up, and I saw the moment the penny drops when a child realises that their mum or dad's experiences and what they're going through aren't their fault. You could see years, sometimes, of stress, guilt or shame begin to lift, and that experience stays with you. It reminds you that suicide prevention is not only about responding in crisis; it's also about early intervention. It's about connection, mental health literacy, reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking behaviour before distress deepens into despair. I want to give a shout-out to Kookaburra Kids and the 42 Challenge, which begins on 1 April, with fundraisers completing 42 minutes of movement each day, inspired by the 42 per cent of Australian families impacted by mental ill health.

In that sector, as in so many others, important decisions are made here in this place. They shape everyday lives, and they can save them. One of the reasons I entered politics was because I wanted to help shape those decisions here, where national policy can either strengthen the mental health of our communities or, sadly, leave people to fall through the cracks. That's why I am and remain deeply passionate about suicide prevention and why I believe the mental health of our nation must remain a national priority. I thank the member for Bowman for bringing forward this private member's business, along with colleagues who have spoken before me, including the member for Maribyrnong, who's a qualified psychologist, and the member for Hunter, who has been working so incredibly hard as our Special Envoy for Men's Health. I also acknowledge the contribution from the member for Monash.

Suicide is complex. There is no single cause and no single fix. Suicidal distress can be shaped by mental ill health but also by trauma, family violence, financial pressure, insecure housing, loneliness and isolation. That's why preventing suicide requires all levels of government services and the broader community working together. It requires a joined-up approach across health, housing, education and social services, because people do not experience these pressures in silos, and our response cannot be siloed. That's the thinking behind the National Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025-2035 released last year by our government. It recognises that, if we are serious about prevention, we must not only respond when someone is in crisis but also address the broader conditions that lead to suicide and suicidal distress. We've made a significant $1.1 billion investment to support the mental health of Australians more broadly, including through Medicare mental health centres, an expanded headspace network and a new network of youth specialist care centres, because this is life-changing and life-saving work. It's work absolutely worth doing, and it's work that we must keep doing together.

Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like to acknowledge the member for Bowman, Henry Pike, for bringing this important matter to this chamber. I'd like to acknowledge the immense pain felt by those who have lost loved ones to suicide. I bring this topic to this chamber today with the utmost respect for their grief and their ongoing trauma.

In regional Australia, including communities like Streaky Bay and the neighbouring Elliston district, the heartbreak of severe mental health issues is palpable. Recently, those communities have endured an agonising series of losses. The beautiful community of Streaky Bay on the Far West Coast is incredible. I encourage everyone to go and visit this amazing town. But this community of less than 2½-thousand people has had seven suicides in the last two months alone. For a community of that size, that is absolutely unacceptable. Just down the road in Elliston, a community of less than 1½-thousand, they've had three suicides in recent times, ranging from teenagers to locals in their 70s.

Our farmers, teachers, ag workers and regional families are grappling with immense, compounding pressure, and we all feel it. From soaring fuel prices to the unforgiving reality of drought, the weight on their shoulders is heavy. Too often in the country, a culture of suffering and silence prevails. People shoulder impossible burdens completely alone, and they do not ask for help when they desperately need it. I must acknowledge the tireless work of my predecessor, Rowan Ramsey, whose dedicated advocacy secured headspace centres in Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie. I also acknowledge him for getting a Medicare mental health clinic set up in Port Pirie. These services are essential lifelines. But communities like Streaky Bay are a long way away from Port Lincoln or Whyalla, and these are the sorts of communities that are missing out. I encourage the government to focus on these smaller communities in the more remote and regional parts of Australia and indeed South Australia.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of speaking with April and Georgia, incredible youth advocates from ReachOut Australia. They reminded me of the vital importance of safe, anonymous online support for our young people navigating complex modern challenges. I too, in another career, helped the Black Dog Institute develop an app for mental health in our young people in this country.

Despite these essential services and fantastic organisations, vast and dangerous gaps remain across the electorate of Grey, and it's because of these remaining gaps and the staggering human reality of nine Australians losing their lives to suicide every single day that we must look critically at how national resources are being deployed. More than 150 Australians attempt to take their lives each day.

When the coalition was in government, we proudly backed a $2 billion mental health and suicide prevention plan. We expanded the headspace network to over 150 centres, many in Grey, and funded 40 adult mental health services to support people closer to home. In stark contrast, recent years have seen a retreat. The current government has reduced Medicare funded mental health sessions from 20 to 10 at a time of growing demand. Key coordinating bodies have been absorbed back into the department, severely reducing oversight. We must shift from a focus of inputs and short-term announcements to relentless focus on results and outcomes.

I call on the government to strengthen transparency in funding. Every dollar spent must be tied to clear, measurable outcomes and evaluation. Community based services must be prioritised as our best place to engage locals practically and accessibly. A consistent national framework for accountability must be reinstated so programs can be properly assessed and improved over time. Australians deserve a system that measures success by lives saved, not just by money spent.

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

The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of the debate will be made in order of the day for the next sitting.

Sitting suspended from 13:17 to 15:59