Rob Mitchell
McEwen · Australian Labor Party · Australia
“As family, friends and our community gather at Hidden Valley right now, I rise to acknowledge the passing of my dear friend Jeremy Scrivens, co-founder of Love in Action in Wallan.”
“Through Love in Action, Jeremy and Sue quietly and humbly supported those facing hardship across the community. His loss will be felt by many. His family—Sue, Sarah, Michael and Ruby—have all lost a devoted husband, father and grandfather.”
“Don was a founding member of the committee for the Woodend Winter Arts Festival and played an essential role in the establishment of the words and ideas event, attracting big thinkers like Barry Jones, Don Watson and David Marr. Let me tell you, it was always a challenge to speak after one of those three.”
“I rise today to acknowledge the passing of a remarkable member of our community, Mr Don Drummond of Woodend. Don and his late wife, Sheila, were founding members of the re-established Woodend ALP branch in 2004. They welcomed members into their home with great hospitality, mulled wine and lively conversation.”
“But sadly this behaviour was becoming increasingly widespread, in part because DVA's allied health arrangements were uncapped, which allowed these businesses to claim much more for services that some veterans didn't need. So the government is making an adjustment to a $5,000 amount rather than a visit based calculation.”
“Those who need the care will get the care. It is very simple. By removing overservicing, we are restoring integrity to the system. Importantly, by doing this we increase the fees that will be paid to allied health professionals by $169 million. That means it's easier for veterans to access health care without being taken advantage of.”
The complete record
Every one of 251 lines we hold for Rob Mitchell, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 6.
“My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the outcomes agreed to at today's National Cabinet meeting and explain how those measures contribute to boosting Australia's fuel security and supply?”
“That's where the blockage is. But what do they do? Rather than them stand up and do anything in any way, shape or form to support Australians, support workers and support the nation, they want to come in here and say, 'We need to do this desperately. It's so important,' and 'it's so important, we're going to block it. We want to put it to a Senate committee and lock it away for ages.' Never has hypocrisy been writ so large than what we see from those opposite—”
“This whole debate has been an absolute joke. I think the member opposite summed it up when he said he didn't know what he was talking about. What we've got is a situation where we came to government and had a shortage of fuel stocks and supplies. We've addressed that. We've fixed that. Every day, we have worked forward to get things done, and that's why we're backing our truckies to keep going. But what we've got is the coalition over there of the National Party, the Liberal Party and one neuron all fighting against keeping truckies on our road, keeping prices down and keeping people working. The fact of the matter is that we have more supplies than we've ever had before. It's available; the distribution is the problem. They know it's the problem. It's because people are hoarding fuel, and more and more fuel needs to go out.”
“My question is to the Assistant Treasurer and the Minister for Financial Services. How is the Albanese Labor government protecting consumers and maintaining economic stability in the face of heightened global volatility?”
“In fact, some of us have taken up the opportunity to get batteries to use less power. This includes those that attack the battery program and attack solar. We'll talk about the leader of One Nation. Senator Hanson herself has bought a battery on the government's program because, whenever there's a tax dollar available, you can guarantee she's on it like a seagull on a chip. It is unbelievable, the hypocrisy of those opposite, in coming in here and talking about energy and fuel supply, when, for nine years, they kept fuel overseas and did nothing. They had 22 different energy policies that delivered nothing, but they sit there and say: 'Oh, we've got a mess. Why haven't you fixed it?'”
“There is no need for that to happen.' And this is the most important bit about this. We shouldn't be seeing this happen, but we know how this has an impact. We also know, when it comes to energy security, that those opposite went to an election just recently promising $600 billion on a nuclear scheme that was a failure. Now, you'd think the member for Page would know more than anyone about the impacts of climate change and why we need to go to a cleaner, greener electricity and gas situation, because of the devastating impacts that his community faced with floods. In a more severe climate that is changing, the floods are more severe, harder and more frequent, resulting in bigger issues. So what we've done is continue to work on making sure that we do get cleaner, greener energy.”
“This is the real reason we've got these issues happening. We've got to sit back and take a good, calm look at this, working in a methodical way as an adult and mature government, and that's what we've been doing. While those opposite are squabbling amongst themselves, we're actually sitting down and working out what's the best way forward. We heard today time and time again—because, for those opposite, you've got to say it quite a few times, and eventually it will sink in. The minister made it very clear that he's been working with all the peak groups on what they need and what the government can do straight away to help, and their responses—the industry's responses, the National Farmers' Federation, everyone that's been involved in this—have been to say: 'Stop panic buying.”
“They sit there and they talk about the $275 and say, 'Oh, Labor should apologise,' but when have any of them ever got up and said that what they did was deliberate, deceitful action against the Australian people by changing the law to hide the power price increases from before the May 2022 election? You'll never hear that, but they're always quick to have a cheap shot and a carry-on. From talking about cheap shots and carrying on, let's talk about what's happening with fuel. Panic buying is the No. 1 issue. When service stations are telling you they are selling the equivalent of five days supply each day because people roll up with trailers and put 10 or 12 200-litre drums on the back or they're getting the big plastic fire buckets and filling them up with diesel to take away, it's almost as bad as the toilet paper crisis during COVID.”
“We also know that 24 out of 28 coal-fired power stations closed under the Liberal-National mess—not under the Labor government but under them. So to come in here and say, 'Well, you should have this fixed; you should have this sorted' is just ridiculous. And the irony of the member who raises this MPI—I had a look through his record. He's been here, what, 17 years? He never once talked about fuel. In fact, the only time he's ever spoken about refineries was him trying to get funding for a sugar refinery in his electorate. So this new-found interest in fuel security is nothing more than to cover up during the week to give them something to talk about because they have no policies. Now, we know 22 different energy policies were done during the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison mess. Not one of them landed.”
“We're in this situation because of a large issue that's happening in Iran. This is where the crux of this begins. This is not an Australian problem. It's not something this government's thought up. It's because of what's happening in Iran, where we know thousands and thousands of people have been persecuted, raped, tortured, killed by a horrific regime. That has been the main cause. It's a global situation. It's not something that Australia has drummed up, Australia has made or is Australia's responsibility. But I want to bring up a couple of numbers in particular just to have a look at a couple of things. The numbers are two and six. Six is how many refineries we had in this country prior to the election of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison mess. Two is what we had when we came to government.”
“The future is strong in McEwen because our region—the Mitchell Shire, the City of Whittlesea and the City of Hume—benefits from having a Labor government that is actually there to work for our communities—for parents raising their kids, for travellers passing through and for all the people who live in, work in and love the area. I'm proud to be part of a government that is delivering on its promises. When communities are strong, Australia grows stronger. Labor will continue to deliver for all Australians.”
“The safety improvements will include the installation of a roundabout with a semi-mountable island, a raised priority crossing to the south and two raised safety platforms to the east and the north. There's also $125 million upgrade to the Donnybrook Road and Mitchell Street intersection. The funding will deliver a new bridge over the Kalkallo Creek, new safety barriers around the intersection and new lanes through the intersection to deliver better access to the Hume freeway for the communities of Kalkallo and Donnybrook. There is $45 million to fully seal Old Sydney Road to Beveridge, which will provide residents a second exit out of Beveridge besides going onto the already busy Hume freeway.”
“The investments include $900 million for the Camerons Lane Interchange and northern intermodal precinct, which will be a critical link in Melbourne's northern growth corridor. We are supporting the movement of double stacked container services and trains up and down the east coast and opening the fast-growing suburb of Beveridge. Here Labor has fixed up the mess that was left to us with the Inland Rail, and we're helping our communities flourish by alleviating traffic delays and getting locals to home and work quicker and safer while boosting our local economy. There is also $855,000 for safety improvements to Windham Street and Queen Street intersection, which has become a dangerous intersection for locals in the community.”
“The works around red gums use specialist techniques such as hydroexcavation to ensure the root systems are not damaged. The contractor for the southern section of this project, McConnell Dowell, was appointed in November with works expected to commence in mid-2026. This is again because our government committed to doing this after a decade where there were no major road projects delivered to the seat of McEwen. The Albanese Labor government committed $280 million in funding to this part of the road. Improved safety and reduced travel time are only some of the benefits that will come with its completion. Only Labor has a track record of investing in McEwen. With over a billion dollars in federal road funding committed across the electorate, we are setting up the region for the decades to come.”
“Victoria's Big Build has provided regular shuttle bus services for everyone, including school students, and we're keen to be keeping lane closures to be mostly after hours. A little bit further to the east of the electorate, I'm proud to report that Yan Yean Road stage 2 upgrade is underway, part of our $437 million commitment to road funding. It's another commitment from the 2022 election. It started in 2024, and it's another example that this Labor government turns plans on a page to a shovel in the ground to an asset to the community. Stage 2 of Yan Yean Road will be transformative for locals, providing easier access and extra lanes to keep traffic flowing. What's more is that we're enhancing the road by protecting also the 500-year-old river red gums that the community was so passionate about keeping.”
“We're seeing the upgrades take shape. It is another example of promise made and a promise kept. I note the patience that many locals have as we do these massive road infrastructure projects as footpaths and lanes are temporarily closed for works, but it isn't an easy task to connect a major highway, and disruptions to the footpaths, townships and railway stations are inevitably part of the process. Every day I drive through the works, and I know that as we deal with the disruption each day we are a step closer to getting this much needed project to completion. It's been great to see the residents rally around our vision for a future which provides better connectivity for our communities.”
“The Albanese Labor government is building Australia's future, and there's no better place to see that than in the myriad of road projects that are underway in our communities in McEwen. From the moment Labor came to government in 2022, we were focused on addressing the backlog of road projects and the failures that were left to us when we inherited government. After a decade of absolute neglect from the coalition that delivered more press releases than projects, we are giving our community the fair go that they deserve. Firstly, let's have a look at Watson Street. Only Labor went to the 2019 and 2022 elections committing to the on-ramps to the Hume Freeway to deliver the southerly exit for both sides of Watson Street. It was only our government that put that forward, and we now have those projects underway in our community.”
“Think about these people who drive through these areas day in and day out. They see the same thing happening. They see the markers of where the signs were and what happened. We also think about Arthurs Creek CFA volunteer Joe Shepherd, who died in Melbourne's Alfred Hospital on 22 February from the injuries he received on Black Saturday. Joe's son Danny was 32, and he lost his life in the fires that day. ACT firefighter David Balfour also died in the February firefight. David was in Victoria repaying the debt of honour for those who came from our community to the ACT fires in 2003. (Time expired)”
“Communities paid a heavy toll, particularly people like Ben Hardman, who suffered the biggest impact of the fires throughout his electorate. Ben was actually on a fire truck all that day, defending Wandong Primary School and the Wandong community while his community around him burned. The scale and the loss of this distress is tough to grapple with. As we think about all these things that happened, I want to pay tribute to a mate of mine, Cameron Caine. Cameron, as I've said in this place before, is a top bloke, a great police officer—just appalling taste in politics! He was the 2010 candidate against me in McEwen, but he's become a great friend. People like Cameron still deal with the issues today—friends who have been lost and scars on landscapes that are still there.”
“More than 450,000 hectares were burnt, and some 3½ thousand buildings and 2,000 homes were destroyed. The RSPCA estimated that up to one million wild and domesticated animals died in that disaster. The Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub talks about Strathewen. It has the following quote: … these leaders in Strathewen seem to me to be able to bring people along with them and that's one of the reasons why they've been successful—they invented their way of doing things and they stuck to it. They were strong enough and cohesive enough to stick with what they knew would work. Premier Brumby was criticised by the opposition, who said he was being 'melodramatic and over the top' in the days leading up to that fire. I believe Mr Brumby is still owed an apology. He warned us of what was going to happen, and he was right.”
“Other fires began across the state at Bunyip, Horsham, Churchill, Redesdale, Beechworth, Bendigo, Marysville, Narre Warren and Upper Ferntree Gully. By the late evening, almost 400 individual fires were burning, and Victoria Police had to announce the first casualties—fatalities. The following day, as the Kilmore East fire and the Murrindindi Mill fire around Marysville merged to create the massive Kinglake fire complex, hot, dry conditions continued. Despite the concerted effort of more than 19,000 CFA members, the fires continued to blaze. It would take weeks before weather changes, reduction of fuel load and human intervention would make it subside. A total of 173 people lost their lives that day, 120 in the Kinglake area alone. Strathewen was the single most impacted town across that day. Another 414 people were injured.”
“Between 3.30 and 7 pm, the fire entered the Kinglake National Park, where it went towards Strathewen, St Andrews, Kinglake, Kinglake West, Chum Creek, Steels Creek, Arthurs Creek, Flowerdale, Broadford, Healesville and Toolangi. At 5.10 pm the wind changed from north-west to south-west, and the kilometre-long sides of the fire became the fire front. The Murrindindi fire began at 3 pm and spread through Murrindindi state forest and the Black Range. It reached Narbethong at 4.20 pm and Marysville at 6.45, before burning through Buxton and Taggerty. The Kinglake fire complex was the most significant fire, which evolved from the merging of the Kilmore East fire and the Murrindindi fires in the early hours of 8 February 2009. It swept through state forests and national parks, with flames recorded at 30 metres high.”
“We remember and think of the many people still carrying the pain and the scars from that time, physically and mentally, today. We pay thanks to the thousands of people who came to our aid. The worst of our time brought out the best in our nation. Whatever people choose to do on 7 February, reflect, respect and remember. The Kilmore East fire spread quickly and crossed the Hume Freeway at 1.58 pm. It burnt through to Wandong and arrived at Mount Disappointment at 3 pm. The fire was then blown towards Humevale and Kinglake. We all stayed together, glued to our radios, listening to UGFM, who kept us up to date as the disaster unfolded across our region. They are vital, informed, local volunteers, and we thank them for the work that they do every time.”
“Every year on 7 February we stop and remember that fateful day in 2009. Extreme weather conditions, the long-term drought, a record-breaking heatwave—it was a case of when, not if. At 11.47, off Saunders Road in East Kilmore, a power fault between power poles 38 and 39 sparked dry vegetation, which was fanned by 125 kilometre-per-hour winds. Our worst fears became reality. The day changed our lives forever. The new normal became the reality. The landscape in our communities was scarred. For many members of our community—families and friends—those scars will never leave. The day is a day for personal reflection, to take time and pause to remember those we lost during the fires and the many more we lost post fire because of the fire.”
“My question is to the Minister for Education. What reforms is the Albanese Labor government delivering to help more children from disadvantaged backgrounds get access to early education and care, and improve the safety of our early education and care system? What are the risks?”
“In housing, health care, cost-of-living relief, roads and education, our government, the Albanese Labor government, is delivering better outcomes for local communities. We're about delivery, not division. This is a government that is focused on fairness, opportunity and building a stronger future for Australians, and I'm proud to be here standing up and advocating for our community. Debate adjourned. Sitting suspended from 13:32 to 16:00”
“Through direct shire funding, we're empowering local governments to fix roads like Sutherlands Road in Clarkefield, Three Chain Road in Lancefield and, Fersfield Road in Gisborne have already benefited from this. And let's not forget Wellington Street and Darraweit Road in Wallan and Breadalbane Avenue in Mernda, which have all benefitted from the upgrades and improvements that our government has invested in our communities. These investments are more than just concrete and asphalt. They are about reducing congestion, preventing accidents and supporting economic growth in one of Victoria's fastest growing areas. The people of McEwen are hardworking, optimistic and community minded. They deserve a government that listens and delivers. Now they have one.”
“In Walland, the intersection of Watson Street and the Northern Highway has received a major investment of $40 million from the Commonwealth, with additional turning lanes built on both sides, which will help provide smoother journeys. And, of course, there are the Watson Street ramps. These are things the former government always talked about but never delivered. In fact, the Liberal Party never went to an election promising to build this much-needed traffic-busting infrastructure. We got into government. We're building it. The state government joined in, and now we're seeing actual work being done. That's something that's been talked about but neglected by the former government. This targeted spending is better for our community. Through our increased local road funding, Labor is making dangerous intersections and roads safer.”
“We know there's more to do, but, to be sure, this government has an unwavering commitment to easing the cost-of-living pressures for Australian families. Anyone who lives in McEwen knows that the roads matter for safety, productivity, reliability and quality of life. People want to get to and from home to be with their families, get to schools and get to their jobs safer and quicker. That's why the Albanese Labor government is investing over a billion dollars in local roads and infrastructure in our community. That includes key projects such as the stage 2 of the Yan Yean Road Upgrade and the Camerons Lane Interchange at Beveridge.”
“In McEwen, it's easier for students who need additional learning support to catch up, keep up and finish school, making sure that we have things like year 1 phonics checks and numeracy checks, evidence based teaching practices and more individualised assistance such as small group tutoring. We are cracking down on the supermarkets to ensure Australians are not being ripped off at the checkout. We're standing up for consumers and farmers by strengthening competition and transparency in the grocery sector. Governments should be on the side of households, not big corporations. We're passing telecommunications legislation to ensure companies act with due care and responsibility. And this year we're developing codes that set out the detail of what responsible businesses look like.”
“We've also invested in home batteries—and I'm looking forward to mine getting fitted this week, actually—and cheaper, more reliable, renewable energy, which will help drive down power prices in the long term. The latest figures show over 200,000 cheaper home batteries are being installed by Australians and over 1,300 across McEwen. We're ensuring that education is available and affordable, with a further 20 per cent cut in student debt. We're raising the income threshold and capping the indexation rate, ensuring HECS debts cannot grow faster than wages. This has assisted over 1,500 people in our area. The point about this and the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement rollout is that this is about investment in public schools by the Australian government. In fact, our investment is the biggest investment ever.”
“Through the Help to Buy Scheme, Labor is giving Australians another pathway to homeownership while lowering the upfront cost of buying a home, and, with a $10,000 incentive for building apprentices to boost the workforce, and 100,000 homes to be exclusively for first home buyers, young Australians can now start believing again that they can afford their own home. It's about dignity, stability and opportunity. Cost-of-living pressures are real, and families in McEwen have them every day. That's why our government has focused on targeted, responsible cost-of-living relief. We all know how important energy bill relief has been over the past few years. But we haven't stopped there.”
“The scheme is already helping people in our community get into the housing market sooner, with just on 2,000 properties purchased with this assistance. At the same time, we're delivering the single biggest investment in social and affordable housing in Australia's history, through the Housing Australia Future Fund. It means more social and affordable homes will be built where they are needed most, including in our area. In fact, in McEwen we've already had $7.1 million invested in Mernda, with the Johnsons Road estate, through the housing support fund, to help the City of Whittlesea meet the growing residential demand. For renters, we have delivered the first back-to-back increases to Commonwealth rent assistance in 30 years—a real help, at a time when rents have risen sharply.”
“Mental-health care should be accessible, affordable and treated with the same seriousness as physical health, and the service requires no referral, charges no fees and provides access to trained professionals by phone or video. Housing affordability, of course, is one of the defining challenges for our electorate. Young people across McEwen want the same opportunity to buy that their parents had, to raise a family and put down roots in their community. This Labor government has listened and responded, with essential programs like the five per cent deposit and First Home Guarantee. Thousands of young people have been able to purchase their first home without paying expensive lender mortgage insurance.”
“And the savings are only set to grow in 2026, the year of delivery. Last week, the health and hospitals agreement provided $25 billion towards Australia's public hospital system. It's a landmark reform. It ensures that services that we are boosting stay sustainable long into the future. Telehealth has been strengthened, with 1800MEDICARE, ensuring that, no matter where you are or what time it is, you can access free health advice. This is a great new service that's ensuring people in fast-growing semiregional parts of McEwen can access care without long travel times. Importantly, we're rebuilding the mental-health services, with programs like Medicare Mental Health Check In.”
“As a result, bulk-billing rates have done a dramatic U-turn locally. That means more families in our communities can now visit a GP without having to choose between health care and groceries. In fact, the latest figures now show 23 fully bulk-billing practices in McEwen, which is double what there was prior to this reform. Cheaper medicines are making a real difference to families. Under Labor people are now paying no more than $25 a PBS script, saving families hundreds of dollars a year. It's not an abstract policy. This is money back into the pockets of people managing chronic illness, raising children and supporting ageing parents. The reduction in price and the introduction of 60-day prescriptions have made a big difference. In fact, the recent figures show over $10 million has been saved through our policy changes.”
“For nine long years, under the coalition, all our community ever got was empty promises and a pack of media releases. Infrastructure lagged behind population growth, costs kept rising, and essential services became harder to access. But 22 May 2025 changed that. The Albanese Labor government is delivering practical, tangible reforms and delivering on its promises, which are making life easier for people in our communities. And there is more to come. Health care is consistently raised as one of the biggest concerns for families. People want to be able to see a doctor when they need to, and they want to be able to afford their medicines and get mental-health support close to home. That's why we've got this historic investment in Medicare—and why it's so important—tripling the bulk-billing incentive.”
“I rise today to talk about the issues that really matter to the people of McEwen. We are a community of working families, young people trying to get ahead, older Australians who have given so much for our community and local businesses and towns that keep our suburbs thriving. McEwen is a proud growth electorate. From the new estates in Donnybrook, Beveridge and Wallan, through to the established communities of Doreen and Diamond Creek, right through to the Macedon Ranges up to Woodend, people are drawn to our area because it is very special and because of the opportunities, the lifestyle and the community that we have. But with growth comes pressure—pressure on health services, housing, roads, schools and household budgets. For far too long, people in growth areas like ours were ignored.”
“I rise to celebrate sod-turning of two great local projects being delivered in our community by this government. First of all is the Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct stage 2. It was my great pleasure last week to join the now mayor of the Macedon Ranges Shire, Kate Kendall—I congratulate her on her appointment—to turn the sod on stage 2 of the Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct. Stage 1 already delivered over $29 million worth of much needed recreational amenities to the Macedon Ranges and the regional area. It includes a three-court sports stadium, a natural-grass AFL and cricket oval, a multifunction pavilion and a variety of associated indoor and outdoor amenities. Stage 2 is set to expand on these facilities significantly. The Albanese Labor government committed and has delivered $15 million of the $17 million for the stage 2 project.”
“Phil really made sure that Allan's legacy was protected and that Allan as a person got to enjoy his final years with his friends and enjoy the stuff that he did. So I pay tribute to him because Allan was a great hero of mine, and I think that with him and Peter Brock gone, we've lost two Australian legends. But Allan certainly stood head and shoulders above everyone, and there are a lot of people driving their Falcon GTs today that owe their value and support to the great work that Allan Moffat did. Vale, Allan George Moffat; you are a champion.”
“Allan was someone who, throughout his racing career, was always seen as very much matter of fact. He was the kind of bloke who never suffered fools easily. He was always a great person to talk to and very knowledgeable and very friendly to share his time with. Unfortunately, as he got older, Allan suffered the ravages of dementia and became an absolute icon in trying to raise awareness and deliver that through Allan Moffat Foundation. His son Andrew told me about how he encouraged all Australians to honour his legacy by supporting the Allan Moffat Foundation for its work to assist others facing dementia. I want to put on the record my view that the support he got throughout his later years from a great mate of mine Phil Grant was second to none.”
“Of course, the 65E in 1971 was one of Allan's greatest wins, where he drove solo from start to finish in a car and finished laps and laps ahead of everyone else. But I think my favourite was Allan's win in 1977—the famous one-two finish—which I know still hurts today for Holden people. They watched cars 1 and 2, side-by-side, go down the track, with his great mate Colin Bond beside him. I was just reading some stuff on Allan the other night and read about the commercial for the XC Ford that was built back in '77. Australia's top race car drivers all lined up, and the car weaved between them just to show how good the Ford Australia car was made. It was Allan who suggested that the only person he would allow to drive a car with him standing in the middle of the road was his mate Fred Gibson, who was another great champion.”
“Today I rise to pay tribute to one of Australia's greatest people, and that is Allan George Moffat. Allan Moffat was a Canadian-born race car driver who came to Australia and became up there equally one of the best drivers that this country has ever produced. Allan and his good friend Peter Brock went toe-to-toe for a decade through car racing. Allan's record still stands as one of the greatest we've seen through his Coca-Cola Mustang, the Boss 302, which won two out of every three races it was ever entered into. There were four Bathurst wins at a time. Allan and Peter are the only two who actually stand in Australian history to have won in both the 500-mile format and the 1,000-kilometre format. Allan has made a lot of people think about Australian cars. We think about the Toranas and the GT Falcons.”
“It's touched every one of us—I know that myself. But everything we can do to help to make lives better and to bring a better outcome is something that benefits our entire community. So speak up. Don't think it's a sign of weakness. Use your strength. Use your arm. Use your voice. We've all got two ears and a shoulder to lean on. Let's use them, because that's the way we get a better country for our future. So I commend this motion to the House.”
“Our government is working tirelessly to support men's mental health. Every day that a genuine conversation happens, a man stops suffering in silence. These things happen on a daily basis, and we've seen the work that's been done by our Special Envoy for Men's Health, the member for Hunter—I'm glad he wore that suit because I reckon I'd look like the Partridge family bus if I'd put that on! We see that work happening, but it also happens locally as with Jack Bamford, a local bloke from up in Kyneton. If you talk about rough lives, Jack's had two rolled into one. But rather than sit back and wallow, Jack started a men's mental health fishing day. It's a great thing to be involved in. We all just go fishing. You sit down, you relax, you can talk about it, and there's professional help and support there. Suicide is a scourge.”
“When a man feels healthier and more connected, this has a ripple effect throughout the rest of his life. When we help individuals, we help their partners, children, friends, family and all those who depend on them. Sheds also play a huge role in helping younger men feel comfortable about speaking up. When older men talk openly about their health or their own struggles, it destigmatises the conversation. Down the track, if a young man is struggling, he feels able to reach out. At the end of the day, sheds save lives. We must continue to work to break down the stigma that prevents men from seeking help. We must keep building a culture where speaking up is a sign of strength not one of weakness. We need to do better at this, and governments of all levels—state, federal and local—need to continue their support.”
“It's why our government is investing $11.3 million for Movember's Men in Mind training and GP campaign, $7.4 million for Movember's Ahead of the Game program, $3 million for the Healthy Male's Plus Paternal initiative, and $2 million for the Black Dog Institute to research men's mental health and suicide prevention at the Danny Frawley Centre for Health and Wellbeing. The funding will strengthen support networks. It expands professional training and bankrolls crucial research into future policy decisions. We've got to single out the additional $8.3 million committed to Men's Shed to expand the health and mental health initiatives. As chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Men's Shed, I've seen the benefits of having a space for men to connect. Sheds give men the place to start having a healthy conversation and to do that with their peers.”
“The government has recognised that there are five key priority issues: mental health and wellbeing; chronic conditions; sexual and reproductive health and conditions; injuries and risk-taking behaviour, which we've all done; and healthy ageing. With these issues front of mind, we are committed to the goal that every man and boy in Australia is supported to live a long, fulfilling and healthy life. We must break the stigma that still sees men's support and men's mental health being shunned, and that's why we've got to continue to make this a top priority for our government.”
“As many as two in three men forgo mental health support, and around half believe avoiding a health check-up is normal. These are national problems that we should talk about, and I'm proud that this government is supporting the mental health of Australians, no matter where they live. Our government, the Albanese Labor government, supports a range of mental health and suicide prevention services to support all Australians, with an estimated $7.8 billion in funding in 2025-26 across the Health, Disability and Ageing portfolio. Under the Strengthening Medicare program, $1.1 billion is being invested in mental health. We're expanding services, employing extra clinicians and reducing waiting times for young people seeking mental health care. These steps are consistent with what the National Men's Health Strategy 2020-2030 said.”
“I rise this evening to support the motion by the member for Hunter. Men's mental health is an issue of national importance. It's one where we should all be working together to deliver better outcomes. We see it all around us, no matter where we are. Men show up at work and they support their families. They crack a joke, and they put a smile on faces. But when they turn away from the world, they struggle. All too often, they struggle alone day after day, year after year. The struggle becomes a fight—a fight against an enemy only they can see. It's in their own mind. Since we were boys, we've always been told to just 'man up', and that's what we do. But, sadly, it often can be too much to bear. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Australian men between the ages of 18 and 44.”