Media release: Mental Health Australia welcomes and congratulates the incoming Albanese Government

Mental Health Australia – the peak national non-government organisation representing and promoting the Australian mental health sector – welcomes and congratulates the incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese MP and his team on their election victory.

Mental Health Australia CEO, Dr Leanne Beagley says Labor’s commitments across housing, aged care, women’s safety, First Nations health and recognition, disaster resilience, the cost of living, and employment security will all improve Australian’s mental health and wellbeing.

“Our election platform called for all parties and candidates to give attention to mental health on every issue that has brought about this change of government,” said Dr Beagley.

“As we saw in our pre-election Ipsos survey last week – over 80 per cent of Australians viewed a party’s position on mental health and wellbeing and provision of related services as important in guiding their voting decision.”

“On behalf of Mental Health Australia’s Chair, Matt Berriman, and the Board, we offer Prime Minister Albanese and his team our congratulations.”

“Prime Minister Albanese has committed to inclusive and collaborative government, and we look forward to seizing the opportunities with him to work together across the new Parliament and with states and territories to fix Australia’s broken mental health system.”

“Seizing opportunities such as the unimplemented actions from the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Mental Health Final Report, driving lived experience leadership, designing a truly community-focussed mental health system, building the mental health workforce of the future and structurally embedding accountability and transparency for expenditure and outcomes within the mental health system.”

“Australia’s mental health service system is at a critical point in reform, and Mental Health Australia is eager to assist the Australian Government with implementing its election commitments, relating to mental health,” said Dr Beagley.

“Further, the Australian Government now has a clear mandate to:

  • reinstate a 50% regional loading for telehealth psychiatry through Medicare
  • boost the rural and remote health workforce
  • deliver 50 Urgent Care Clinics
  •  create a Better Future for the NDIS
  • address the crisis in Veteran suicide prevention and wellbeing.

“We look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Albanese and his team to address the fundamental changes needed to fix a chronically neglected mental health system,” said Dr Beagley.

ENDS

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