Mr MATT KEAN (Hornsby) [7.36 p.m.]: It is with pleasure that I speak to this matter of public importance. The issue of mental health is very close to my heart.
My family has been directly affected by mental health, but my story is not unique. My mum suffered a mental illness when I was growing up. This year 3.2 million will suffer a mental illness. Indeed, one in four adult Australians will suffer a mental illness at some stage during their life. The chances are that if you have not suffered a mental illness yourself, you will know someone who has. One of the challenges we face is that we know very little about mental illness. We are not taught how to treat mental illness or how to deal with it. If someone came to me now with a broken arm or bloody nose, I would know what advice to give them—I would send them to a medical practitioner. But if someone came to me suffering symptoms of schizophrenia, anxiety or depression, I am not sure that I, or my colleagues, would know how to deal with that.
We have come a long way in talking about mental health. Gone are the days when people suffering mental illness were institutionalised, but there is still a long way to go. The biggest thing we can do to improve mental health is to break down the stigma that exists across the country, and we can do that by having a simple conversation. We need to let people know that there is a way through no matter how dark, helpless, hopeless or ashamed they may be feeling. We need to encourage people to talk about mental health in the same way as we talk about physical health. We should encourage people to get help that potentially may save their lives.
Mental illness is the leading cause of suicide in this country. Suicide is the largest killer of males aged under 44 and females under 34. Every death through suicide is a national disgrace. I have said that in this House before and I will continue to say it until the problem is fixed. We need to do more to address this national disgrace. I, like others, have a dream. My dream is that we will invest the same resources and community awareness in mental health as we do in physical health. I will continue to contribute in this House to every discussion of a matter of public importance and to every community forum that I attend to advocate that my dream become a reality. It is not just a problem for those in this House; it is everyone's problem. No longer can we have the "us and them" situation in mental health. The Government and community have a responsibility to bring about that change.
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