Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. Yesterday I visited the lawns in front of parliament to speak to advocates for the many victims of the epidemic of male suicide in Australia. Not a single Albanese government minister, senator or member bothered to turn up. In 2023, more than 2,400 Australian men and boys committed suicide, while the figure for women and girls was 203. In January 2023, the Albanese government halved the number of subsidised psychologist appointments per person. This has affected veterans, farmers, police, health workers and many other sections of our society. Given the growing mental health problems in Australia contributing to our suicide epidemic, when will the government restore funding to 20 subsidised psychologist appointments per person?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson for raising the very important issue of the mental health and wellbeing of Australian citizens and the difference, in particular, in numbers of men who are successful with suicide than women. That has been the case for as long as I've been watching that data. Obviously how we deal with trying to support people who are contemplating suicide is a real focus of everybody in this chamber. It has huge individual cost, obviously, family and friend cost and also significant costs to the community.

I can go through a number of the initiatives we are funding in mental health. I wasn't aware of that gathering on the lawns of Parliament House yesterday. On the issue that you raise about better access, the issue we found with that program was when it was returned to its normal level of 10 sessions—it was expanded only in COVID for 20 sessions—per person, it allowed a much greater number of individuals to access it. It didn't reduce access. It actually increased access because what we saw was that there's only a certain number of psychologists. If they see the same patient 20 times as opposed to seeing two patients 10 times, we were able to—

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's demand driven.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it's demand driven. But there is only a finite capacity of psychologists available to provide services.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston!

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we've seen is that—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Minister Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston today, President, has ignored your ruling and laughed about ignoring your ruling on numerous occasions. It is time that she, as a senior member, actually showed the chair some respect.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston, I have called you, and, the minute after I called you, you continued interjecting. You are being disrespectful to me. I'm asking you that, when I call you to order, you come to order.

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Censure her too, then!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Thorpe, you come to order as well.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will provide some more information in the next answer.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, first supplementary?

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Advocates at yesterday's event spoke passionately about unjust family law outcomes contributing significantly to the epidemic of male suicide in Australia. The Albanese government's removal of shared parental responsibility from family law has made the system even more biased against men and fathers. Will the government acknowledge the family law system is heavily biased against men and fathers and is contributing to the male suicide epidemic in Australia?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson for the question. Just to finish up on the Better Access program, I think it is important. The evaluation found that people with lower incomes and those living in rural, regional and remote areas were missing out on much-needed care. That's why one of the programs that we are starting through the last budget is to establish a new national mental health service free of charge for all Australians, regardless of your postcode. There was significant investment, and it was particularly to deal with the issue that you raise, Senator Hanson.

On the family law matters, the changes we made to family law were not aimed at disadvantaging one parent over another. They were focused on—and this was informed by advice from various inquiries—custody arrangements or access arrangements being made in the best interests of the child. That was, I think, agreed through this place. It was not aimed at disadvantaging any parent.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, second supplementary?

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That may not be the case, but it's having the impact. The Albanese government has committed considerable taxpayer funding to address women's issues and has appointed an assistant minister for women. The government has also stated on many occasions that it is committed to gender equality. Minister, when will the Albanese government show a real commitment to gender equality and appoint a minister for men?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hanson for the question, and she would note that the first national strategy on gender equality does include and mention specifically areas where men and boys face particular disadvantage. That is the whole purpose of gender equality. It is not promoting women over men or men over women. It's saying that we all benefit when both genders have access to equal opportunities. That is the whole nature of having a strategy on gender equality. I can tell you that the assessment, particularly around health, and particularly around mental health and access to health services, is looked at through what services are targeted at and best designed to support men. It's about how we reach men, particularly in relation to health services, because we know that men are more reluctant than women to reach out and access health services.