PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Ms COMER (Petrie) (11:06): I rise today in support of the motion moved by the fantastic member for Bonner. She's done incredible work in this space. Mental Health Month recognises that mental health touches every community, every family and every generation.
For too long, conversations about mental health were conversations that people felt they had to have behind closed doors. People were told to toughen up, get on with it and keep what they were going through to themselves. That is fortunately changing.
It is no longer seen as weak to speak up. In fact, we're now seeing that asking for help is one of the strongest things that someone can do. As a government, we have a responsibility to make sure that when someone does put their hand up and say, 'I need help,' there is somewhere for them to turn to.
That is why I'm so proud to be part of a government that is taking mental health seriously. We are not just talking about reducing the stigma of mental health. We're actually investing in the services that Australians need.
Across the country, we are rolling out Medicare mental health centres, establishing Medicare mental health kids hubs, expanding headspace services and delivering new early intervention support. In my own community of Petrie, I've seen firsthand what this investment means. We have the Redcliffe Medicare Mental Health Centre, which has been a major success in our community.
It removes so many of the barriers that can stop people from reaching out for help. I want to commend the team there. They're doing such a fantastic job.
They've told me they've seen a sharp increase of blokes going—blokes over 55 years old. I think that's a demographic who has often struggled to reach out for mental health support when they need it, so I commend all those blokes for recognising they need some support. I'm so glad we actually have that support available when they do reach out.
People can walk through the door of this mental health centre without a referral, without formal diagnosis and without worrying about a bill afterwards. That matters because, when someone reaches the point where they are ready to seek support, we should be making that process easier and not putting any obstacles in their way. It means that a young person struggling with anxiety, a parent who is feeling overwhelmed, someone who is isolated or a person going through one of the hardest points of their life has somewhere local they can go to and find support.
They can simply go in there and say, 'I need some help.' That is what the focus should be on—making sure that people can access the care they need when they need it. We also know that mental health support cannot be one size fits all. Different communities have different experiences, different barriers and different needs.
That is why I was honoured to join the brilliant Emma McBride, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, to open the nation's first urban Indigenous headspace in Deception Bay. It is something very special in our community, and I can say we're both extremely proud of this centre and the work that's being delivered. It's important we focus on early intervention as well.
We need to reach people earlier, to give them the tools and support that they need, and make mental health care part of the normal healthcare system. That is what this government is working towards, and that is what investments in the Medicare mental health centres, headspaces and the new Medicare Mental Health Check In service are designed to achieve. We also need to recognise the families, carers, peer workers, health professionals, community organisations and people with lived experience who do extraordinary work every single day.
Often these are the first people that someone turns to. They listen, they support, they encourage and they help people take the next step towards professional care. Sometimes support starts with something as simple as asking someone, 'Are you okay?' And then genuinely listening to the answer.
During Mental Health Month, I encourage everyone across Petrie and across the country to check in with the people around them. Check in with the mate who's gone a little quiet, check in with the colleague who doesn't seem themselves at the moment, and check in with someone you've not heard from in a while. And if someone crosses your mind, I encourage you to call them or text them, because they might have crossed your mind for a reason.
Trust me; this truly makes a difference. And if you're a person struggling, please know that speaking up is not weakness. Mental health is health, and Australians deserve a mental health system that treats it that way.
In my community, we can already see the difference these investments are making, from the Medicare mental health centre in Redcliffe to the nation's first urban Indigenous headspace in Deception Bay. I'm proud to be part of a government that understands that looking after Australians means looking after both their physical and their mental health.