Key events
Health minister Mark Butler is out doing the media rounds this morning, to sell the $1bn mental health package the government is announcing this morning.
Josh Butler has the details for you below, which Butler tells ABC News Breakfast, is to build free mental health services “where people need it”, particularly in the regions and outer suburbs.
We know that the teen years and early 20s are where most disorders emerge. Services that young people feel comfortable visiting is critically important.
Asked why so much of the funding is going to Headspace and whether they’ve been able to make a dent in stopping the deterioration of mental health in young people, Butler says Labor had evaluated the service and the results were “positive”.
Well, they were evaluated fairly early in our term of government and seen to be very positive… It’s a really important service that means young people know there’s somewhere they can feel comfortable going to.
Labor pledges $1bn for mental health
Josh Butler
Labor will commit $1bn to a major mental health policy, including upgrading or establishing dozens of Medicare, Headspace and youth mental health centres.
The government would also put $90m towards training some 1,200 mental health workers.
Anthony Albanese will on Tuesday pledge $500m for 20 youth specialist care centres, as well as $225m for 31 new and upgrades to Medicare mental health centres, and $200m to expanding or starting 58 Headspace centres.
The youth centres will be focused on addressing what is called “the missing middle”, or complex needs that can be addressed outside hospitals – such as personality disorders, eating disorders and early psychosis.
“We will deliver $1 billion to roll out more services and locations Australians can go for free, public mental health care backed by Medicare,” Albanese said in a statement.
Whether you need short-term support or ongoing care, young or old, we will ensure that a free, mental health service backed by Medicare will be there for you and your family.
The health minister, Mark Butler, said the competing Coalition policy of doubling the number of Medicare-backed mental health sessions would “create a bottleneck that means tens of thousands of Australians get no help at all” by “piling more demand on private psychologists”.
The announcement was welcomed by mental health experts including Mental Health Australia, Headspace and Patrick McGorry of Orygen. McGorry had joined Peter Dutton in Melbourne last week when the Liberal leader announced new funding for a Headspace centre in Melton. McGorry said:
Australians will be relieved and grateful that a re-elected Albanese government will respond decisively to the youth mental health crisis by strengthening Headspace, building a network of strong specialised youth mental health centres to support all primary care providers, and expanding a diverse and skilled mental health workforce.
Krishani Dhanji
Good morning,
Krishani Dhanji here with you, as we follow along on this election race.
Both leaders, Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, are in Sydney this morning, ahead of the first leaders’ debate tonight on Sky News.
We’re health focused this morning, with Labor unveiling a $1bn mental health promise which we’ll dig into the details of shortly.
And Donald Trump has threatened even more tariffs on China (and just after the latest Treasury modelling was released yesterday afternoon), we’ll no doubt be seeing plenty of reaction to that as well.
So buckle up, it’s going to be a big one (and yes – I said this yesterday, but it was true)!