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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-09-05 Daily Xml
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Motions

R U OK? Day

Mr DULUK (Waite) (11:30): I move:

That this house—

(a) recognises that 10 September 2018 is World Suicide Prevention Day and 13 September 2018 is R U OK? Day;

(b) recognises the importance of both these days in raising awareness and understanding about suicide and its prevention among the community; and

(c) acknowledges all the workplaces, community groups and schools organising R U OK? Day events to encourage conversations among their peers.

I rise today to touch upon the importance of mental health, the horrible impact of suicide and the R U OK? campaign that actively works to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and to provide options for people contemplating suicide. As leaders voted in by our community to advocate on their behalf, it is important that we continue to shed light on topics, events and actions that will have a positive impact on the community, even if they are difficult subjects. Many people know someone with a mental illness, or they themselves might be living with a mental illness or have experienced these issues.

R U OK? is an organisation and a movement that aims to prevent suicide by empowering community members to have regular meaningful conversations with those around them, starting off with the first question: are you okay? I am sure that many of you sitting in the chamber today have heard about all the hard work of the organisation and probably worked with them in some way over the years.

When asking someone if they are okay, we need to remember that we are asking this question without judgement and that we will be listening without judgement. We need to listen and encourage the person to take positive action, such as seeking professional help. We need to note that asking this question is not just a one-time check-in. If someone you know is struggling, regular check-ins and meaningful conversations are incredibly important. We must follow up with that person, be there by their side and be there when they are having a bad day, need a shoulder to cry on or a sympathetic listening ear.

There has been a significant focus on suicide prevention and mental health in recent years, and rightly so. It has only been in recent years that society has become better at encouraging people to seek help if they are struggling with mental health issues. It is fantastic that there are organisations across the state, the nation and around the world advocating that we care for our minds as much as we care for our bodies.

R U OK? Day is the national day of action held in Australia each year to remind every individual of the importance of supporting and connecting with people around us, especially those who may be experiencing mental health issues. The campaign was first launched in 2009, and this year R U OK? Day is on 13 September. We are reminded to ask family, friends and colleagues the question, 'Are you okay?' and to have a meaningful and regular conversation about how people are going.

Quite simply, it encourages people to reach out to their loved ones. It can be too easy in this day and age to let connections with family and friends slip by without realising it. We are all negligent of that. Everyone is busy, everyone is rushed and it can be hard to find the time to talk to loved ones who may be going through a rough time or experiencing mental health issues. The R U OK? campaign not only encourages people to reach out to those around them but encourages people who are struggling to reach out to others about their problems and to seek professional help. If you are feeling distressed, it can be helpful to discuss this with someone you trust.

Acknowledging and discussing feelings can include talking to peers about what you are going through and keeping in contact with loved ones. The emphasis of the campaign is on reaching out and connecting with people who are struggling. Actions, even simple ones, are vital to making sure people feel loved, supported and cared for.

R U OK? Day comes around once a year. However, this does not mean we should not be more sympathetic and more caring each and every day of the year. It is especially important to follow up when someone has said that they are not okay and to know what options are available to you and to them to support that person. When you know someone who is behaving differently from their normal behaviour or is having a difficult time, maybe at school, at work or at home, be there for them to let them know that support is available.

I encourage everyone to check with friends, family and the people in our communities, to listen and to make sure that everyone is okay. If this speech reminds you of someone you know who needs help, please go and connect with them. Reach out to someone who is having a hard time and assure them that there is no shame in asking for help. R U OK? is an organisation that works towards promoting greater awareness around mental health, discussion around suicide and mental health issues. They are committed to increasing awareness of suicide prevention services and breaking down mental health stigma. This is an important action in society. We need to reduce stigma and to encourage people to seek help without feeling any shame. One suicide in our community is one too many. Many of us have been touched in some way by the death of someone who has taken their own life.

Suicide is an absolutely tragic act. Suicide rates in this country are increasing and we need to take care of our communities and ensure that everyone is mentally healthy. World Suicide Prevention Day is on 10 September, and the theme for this year is Working Together to Prevent Suicide. The theme works with the efforts of the R U OK? Day campaign. Both days and both themes highlight the importance of taking notice of what is happening in our families, with our friends, our colleagues and our communities, and raising awareness of the increased availability of the support that needs to be undertaken.

Both World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day encourage the seeking out of the necessary knowledge to be able to help yourself and to help others. Many families' lives are affected by suicide. In 2016, 2,866 Australians took their own lives. Research has also revealed that around 65,000 people attempt suicide each year, impacting many people in a tragic way. For every suicide tragedy, there is an affected family and there are affected friends and a community who experience the long-lasting and devastating effects of suicide.

Yesterday, the new Marshall Liberal government handed down its budget. I would like to touch on some of the fantastic initiatives in the budget around suicide, mental health and those people who need our assistance. In the 2018-19 budget, $2.5 million has been allocated to expand suicide prevention networks and other services working in suicide prevention to increase support and to break down stigma associated with mental illness and suicide.

This is $2.5 million that is going to go directly to grassroots groups to help with the fantastic advocacy work that they do. I know that in my community the Mitcham suicide prevention network. does some absolutely fantastic work. Chaired by Rob O'Sullivan, they meet at the Blackwood Community Centre opposite my office. Their work in my community is very important. I would like to put on the record their great work.

An additional ministerial adviser has been allocated to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing's office to provide advice on suicide prevention and related issues to assist the work of the Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention, and $10 million has been allocated over four years for a new specialist borderline personality disorder service. This is a really important area and one that governments of all persuasions have not had the inclination to support or fund for many, many years, so it is a very much welcomed initiative by this new Liberal government. I know that it will certainly receive bipartisan support because of the very important work that it does.

A target for 2018-19 is to develop the South Australian suicide registry, which is a way to monitor those issues. There will be improved services for paediatric eating disorders, with $3.3 million over four years committed to establish a dedicated paediatric eating disorder service. We realise how important it is to fund these services, and that is exactly what we are doing. The government realises that funding for mental health services is a serious task. It needs more than just words; it needs actions, and our commitment to funding these services is reflected in this year's state budget.

The campaign emphasises how important it is to reach out to people who may be experiencing mental health problems and to really connect. That is the aim of our policy positions. These actions can seem small, but they often remind people that they are loved, supported and cared for. It is so important that government policy reflects the desires and needs of those who are so important.

Another important thing that the government has recently undertaken is the formation of the Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention, and I am proud to be a member of that council. It shows a commitment to community wellbeing and has a strong focus on building a healthy connected community. The council will be led by the Hon. John Dawkins MLC, from the other place, and will be tasked with delivering improvements in policy and services to reduce the impact of suicide in our metropolitan areas, and to play an important part in our rural communities. Thirteen South Australians have agreed to serve on this council, and I admire their dedication in stepping up to the plate to help tackle this important issue.

The 13 people on the council are: Jill Chapman, founder and Chairperson of Minimisation of Suicide Harm Australia; Janet Kuys, founder and co-ordinator of Silent Ripples; Peter May, founder of the Treasuring Life South East Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Network; Tracey Wanganeen, coordinator of Country SA South for StandBy Support after Suicide; Chez Curnow, Assistant Manager of Suicide Prevention and Low Intensity Strategies for Country SA Primary Health Network; Kelly Vincent, a former member of the other place and advocate for rights of people with disabilities; Chad McLaren, who has a background in the Army Reserve, the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Defence Force; Simon Schrapel AM, CEO of Uniting Communities, which does wonderful work with Lifeline; Rev Peter Sandeman, CEO of Anglicare SA; Dr Kate Fennell, Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide and Research Fellow at the Sansom Institute for Health Research at the University of South Australia; Dr Peter Tyllis, former chief psychiatrist for South Australia; Dr Seema Jain, a general practitioner who has run a private practice in Elizabeth Vale for many years; and Lee Martinez, a lecturer in mental health at the UniSA Department of Rural Health.

As leaders in our community, we can all help raise awareness and give a voice to all these important campaigns. As I have said, suicide is extremely tragic and we must do everything we can to ensure people know they have options available to help them. As members of parliament, we need to take care of our communities, and that is why the Premier's special Council on Suicide Prevention is so important. In addition to the new measures in the budget, all the fantastic work of community groups such as Lifeline and beyondblue, the importance of motions such as this and initiatives such R U OK? Day, we can all play our part to ensure that our community is safe and healthy; it is so vital.

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (11:43): I rise to support the motion by the member for Waite supporting World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day—two very important days in which we focus our efforts in this state and across the country in terms of trying to improve mental heath and reduce suicide rates.

To begin, I want to take the opportunity to recognise the really important efforts made by our mental health workers across South Australia. Our medical professionals, GPs, nurses, psychologists and all those who work in community support and care across South Australia play a vital role. It is a tough job but it is integral to our society. I and everyone in this place sincerely thank you for all your efforts.

It is too often that we see the tragic impact of suicide on our communities. Unfortunately, approximately four South Australians take their lives every week. These statistics are of course even worse on average for people who are Aboriginal, people who are lesbian, gay or trans, or people who are culturally and linguistically diverse. That is why World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day are such important initiatives. Together, they help to shine a light on the prevalence of suicide and remove the stigma around mental health and, most importantly, they save lives.

R U OK? Day encourages people to start a conversation with friends and family members who might be struggling. There is a simple four-step process: (1) ask, (2) listen, (3) encourage action and (4) check in. It is important to ensure that you pick the right moment to ask, that you are prepared to understand and that you are in the right headspace yourself. There are fantastic resources available on the R U OK? Day website to help guide you through the process. I want to echo what the member for Waite said in acknowledging the workplaces, community groups and schools that organise local R U OK? Day events.

The World Suicide Prevention Day theme for this year is Working Together to Prevent Suicide. The theme is based on the understanding that the entire community has a role to play in reducing self-harm and suicide. The evidence and literature show us that when all levels of government and community groups and individuals work together, we reduce the prevalence of suicide. Sadly, we are not seeing this happen when we consider our current state and federal governments.

In particular, there is an issue that I have been working on over the past few months. We have seen a significant impact on our mental health services from the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The projections under this scheme, which is being led by the federal government, weathered a very high percentage of people with mental illness. We are going to transition to the NDIS to cover their care, and hence a whole lot of supports that are currently provided by governments through NGOs will be able to be withdrawn because they will be covered by the NDIS. That, clearly, is not happening.

Clearly, there are very low rates of people with a mental illness transitioning to the NDIS. That is causing significant concern because the funding is being pulled from those support programs that were there to provide help. For instance, Personal Helpers and Mentors is a very important program by which people are able to support people to live well and have healthy lives in the community, with those important supports provided by trained mental health workers who have relevant qualifications. Those programs being run by NGOs across the state are being wound back by the commonwealth at the moment.

We have seen some movement by the commonwealth to try to address this but not enough. It is something that we will continue to campaign on, to make sure those programs are there. This party, in the election campaign, pledged to introduce a mental health services guarantee to ensure that those people who missed out on being eligible for the NDIS are able to receive these programs. The sad truth is that, if we do not have these sorts of programs, we are going to see an impact on our suicide rate. It is vitally important that those preventative primary healthcare measures in mental health are there to do excellent work to make sure that people stay healthy in the community.

I would also like to acknowledge the work being done by some of the NGOs. It was only minutes ago that there was a morning tea organised by the members for Reynell and Bragg for Odd Socks Day, which is coming up in October. It supports the work of Grow SA. Grow runs a whole series of work across South Australia to provide mentoring and support groups for people with mental illness, to make sure that they can get those supports in the community, that they are able to discuss issues with people who are in similar situations. Ultimately, that has an impact in terms of being able to save people's lives and preventing suicide. That is a very important program.

I would also like to acknowledge the work of the Mental Health Commissioner. It is something that we brought in recently, in the last few years. The commissioner has been doing an excellent job since he was appointed. I was at one of his events recently, with the member for Waite, at which he went through a lot of the research and mental health evidence around how we as members of parliament and the media should be talking about mental health and how we should be promoting positive mental health, which is having a great impact.

Lastly, I acknowledge that the member for Waite in his contribution talked about some of the initiatives in yesterday's budget. As the member for Waite outlined, there were a few small programs that were designated for improvements in mental health; however, what we did see was very significant cuts across the board in our health services and, unfortunately, what we are going to see is that impacting upon mental health services being provided across South Australia. Unfortunately, I think we are going to see the impact of that on our community.

That is something that we are going to pursue in coming months. We will fight for those important mental health services to make sure that they are not cut, to make sure that the doctors, nurses and other mental health staff who work in them are not cut, and those services continue to expand rather than contract. We also did not see some of the details of what the government had promised when they were in opposition in terms of expanding a whole range of different mental health services such as older persons' mental health. They were not funded in the budget, so where is that money coming from, or is the government breaking their election commitments?

We will continue to examine this because it is very important that we have as good a mental health system as possible. It is also very important that the government be held to account on delivering on their election commitments and we will continue to do that. On behalf of the opposition, we support World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day. We encourage the community to get behind it. We encourage people to raise awareness of these issues and to help reduce the stigma of people with mental health illnesses because we know that that will help keep people safe, keep people healthy and reduce our suicide rate.

Mr PATTERSON (Morphett) (11:51): I also rise to support the motion moved by the member for Waite that this house recognises both World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day, which are both occurring this month. Up to 45 per cent of Australians have experienced a mental illness at some point in their lives and suicide is one of the leading causes of death amongst South Australians who are aged 15 to 44. Therefore, it is vital that this house gives its support and recognition to initiatives such as these.

On a world scale, more than 800,000 people die by suicide each year, which equates to around one person every 40 seconds, which are devastating, unnecessary deaths which governments, research facilities and people all across the world are very concerned about. In Australia, tragically, more than 2,800 people die each year, or eight people a day, and for every death it is estimated that 30 people will attempt to take their life. Hundreds of Australians are impacted by each suicide death, and research shows that if the following three factors combine it significantly increases someone's risk of suicide: an individual feeling isolated or disconnecting from others, the belief that they are a burden on others or society and also having the means to take their life.

World Suicide Prevention Day seeks to address this. It was successfully launched in 2003 and has been held on 10 September every year since in order to provide a worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicide. The theme for the first World Suicide Prevention Day was Suicide Can Be Prevented, and on each World Suicide Prevention Day, numerous events, conferences, campaigns and local activities call to public attention one of the world's largest causes of premature and unnecessary death.

In 2002, the theme was 'Suicide prevention across the globe: strengthening protective factors and instilling hope'. Out of this event, a number of priorities were developed, including continuing to research suicide and non-fatal suicide behaviour, addressing both the risk and protective factors; developing and implementing awareness campaigns with the aim of increasing awareness of suicidal behaviours in the community and incorporating evidence of both risk and protective factors; targeting efforts not only to reduce these risk factors but also to strengthen the protective factors, especially in childhood and adolescence; and disseminating research evidence around suicide prevention and reducing stigma and promoting mental health literacy amongst the general population and healthcare professionals.

In terms of this research, 2017 World Suicide Prevention Day in Australia saw the release of a report based on a nationally representative survey relating to suicide prevention. The survey revealed high levels of stigma and low levels of suicide literacy. At the time, Suicide Prevention Australia CEO, Sue Murray, said of the findings:

Evidence tells us that stigmatising attitudes result in people being less likely to get help or give help. If we don't speak up about persistent stigma, we are at risk of perpetuating a society where we remain reluctant to reach out for help for ourselves or others.

The study also found that 70 per cent of Australians think that people who are suicidal should tell other people about it. The study also found that increased knowledge around suicidal behaviours, and how to manage them, correlates with a lower level of stigma. Continuing efforts to improve every Australian's understanding of suicide, to debunk myths around suicide and communicate about its prevention will lead to lower rates of suicide.

The study found that suicide was frequently attributed to isolation and feeling disconnected. This highlights an opportunity focused on prevention efforts that increase inclusion and connectedness and also encourages people to seek help. Of the myths that the study found, one was that almost a third of Australians think that people who talk about suicide rarely kill themselves, whereas, in fact, talking about suicide is a warning sign. It has been found that very few people who attempt to take their own life have not communicated in some way with those around them or exhibited warning signs. Therefore, warning signs should be taken seriously and listened to.

Another myth that the study found was that 20 per cent of Australians think that talking about suicide increases the risk of suicide; rather, asking someone about suicide directly opens up channels to talk honestly and openly about the problem. Hence, the theme of the 2017 World Suicide Prevention Day was 'Take a minute, change a life' and highlighted the importance of speaking up, taking the time and listening.

The theme of World Suicide Prevention Day 2018 is 'Working together to prevent suicide'. It is a very important theme for our state, with over 230 people taking their lives in 2015. This figure does not, however, include attempted suicides or people suffering from mental illness who were thinking of suicide. If it did, this number would be significantly higher. These figures are certainly confronting; however, we must remember that these are not just figures—they are family members, friends, co-workers and peers.

The International Association for Suicide Prevention estimates that for every person who takes their life, another 135 people suffer intense grief or are otherwise affected, meaning that in 2015 over 31,860 South Australians were directly affected by suicide. Any death is certainly devastating. However, the personal and social impacts of suicide and those affected cannot be measured.

This year's theme highlights that the most effective way to battle these startling suicide rates is through collaboration. Everyone has a role to play in helping to destigmatise mental illness, which is very easily done through offering support to friends, family and co-workers. On 13 September—a short three days after World Suicide Prevention Day—businesses, organisations and individuals will be involved in R U OK? Day. These two mental health awareness days are of significance to each other. Both encourage open and honest discussions around suicide and mental health to help raise overall awareness and address the stigma surrounding mental health and, therefore, reduce it.

Much-loved Barry Larkin ended his life in 1995 and left his family with many unanswered questions and unbelievable grief. Years later, in 2009, his son Gavin knew exactly the question he wished someone had asked his father: 'Are you okay?' There began R U OK? Day.

R U OK? Day supports taking time to notice what is going on with your family, friends, colleagues and yourself. If a person has a niggling feeling that someone is not behaving in the manner they normally would, or seems to be going through a rough patch, R U OK? Day encourages any and all individuals to ask how that person is doing.

Ask how they are, listen without judgement or prejudice, encourage them to take action and check in on them. It is about taking the time to have those conversations and also, importantly, equipping yourself to help not only yourself but others. By starting a conversation, you could help a family member, friend or colleague open up.

R U OK? Day promotes four simple steps that could save a life. One is ask, but prior to asking prepare. Understand that if you do ask someone how they are going, it could actually be, 'I'm not going all that well.' Listen with an open mind; be patient and without judgement so that the conversation is not rushed. It is important to use non-judgemental language. Encourage action; this could be just asking how they would like you to support them. It could also be to encourage people to seek a health professional and encourage the positive role that those professionals play. Finally, check in and stay in touch because genuine care and concern can make a real difference. It is this care and concern that can sometimes be the first step on a person's road to recovery.

All it takes is a simple question. By making the time to look out for those around us, we can make people feel connected and help them across appropriate support long-term before they think about suicide. These two tie in directly with the collaboration aim of World Suicide Prevention Day, through collaborating with governments, businesses and individuals and making resources available to effectively and safely help people overcome mental illness.

I acknowledge that this house should applaud both these organisations for the incredible work they do for the South Australian community as well as on a national basis. I also congratulate the volunteers from the state's suicide prevention networks on their ongoing work within their local communities. This house should also applaud community organisations, schools, businesses and universities that are getting involved in both of these days and trying to help either friends, family members, co-workers or peers in need.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (12:01): I would like to rise and speak in support of this motion, albeit briefly. First of all, I would like to thank the work done by volunteers in our community and volunteers like the Gawler Suicide Prevention Group, who work to raise awareness about suicide prevention and what can be done by the community to reduce the rate of suicide in our communities.

This group works really hard in promoting resources available to people who need assistance and raising awareness amongst families and the community about what they can do to identify and perhaps support people who may be at risk of suicide. This group is one of many in the community that does a lot of work. For example, they shared a stall at the Gawler Show recently to get the message across to the general community. This month, they have a display in my office about suicide prevention, which people in the community can access.

Combined with other organisations, which I will come to in a moment, they do very important work to remove the stigma around suicide and mental health. I think that continues to be one of the biggest barriers in our dealing with the issue of suicide—the stigma still attached to having poor mental health. As a community we say that, but obviously a number of individuals at a personal level still do not believe that it is okay to talk about it or seek assistance for whatever reason. Unless we actually overcome that, we are unfortunately still going to have a really horrid suicide rate in this country.

I would also like to acknowledge the work that faith groups do in our community. Whether or not you are a believer is not important. I know that faith organisations in my community work very hard to provide counselling and support, particularly for families and individuals at stressful times, whether it be economic stress because of unemployment or social stress resulting from family breakdowns, etc. The faith groups in my community work really hard to support individuals who are doing it tough and whose mental health is suffering as a result of those stresses in society.

I would also like to address some of the concerns about dealing with mental health at the moment. Quite recently, mental health advocates have expressed fears about lives at risk. In their view, 50 per cent of South Australian public hospitals do not meet national mental health standards. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare figures show that half of South Australia's hospitals are below national mental health standards, with 40 per cent of patients not receiving support after discharge. I think this is a very important point.

I will name a person who is involved in this campaign because he recently spoke to the Gawler ALP sub-branch about his own personal experiences. He has been quite public about his own very powerful story and about how we need to deal with mental health and suicide prevention. Mental health campaigner Bill Stockman, who runs a mental health awareness charity, says that through his work he knows of at least two people have taken their life shortly after leaving a mental health facility. He says that inadequate discharge plans are a contributing factor to people taking their life after leaving a facility, and was quoted on ABC radio as saying:

'Cause I got a real shock when I got home and thought, you know, well, gee, this is it, I'm back to square one because this is when I was thinking about taking my life.

Bill Stockman's story is quite powerful. When he was 14 he accidentally shot dead a mate of his; he was a farm boy and he accidentally shot dead a friend. Bill carried that with him for quite a while. In those days, when that happened you were just told to toughen up and deal with it. That was wrong advice then and it is certainly wrong advice today.

Later in life, Bill tried to take his own life, fortunately unsuccessfully. He tried a number of times, but then got the proper support and he is now doing okay. However, even today it is still a battle for him, and he speaks quite openly about the battle against depression and poor mental health. He has turned his negative experience into trying to help others and works with a number of charities and organisations to raise awareness.

It is important to understand that we can stand here and talk about what people need to do, but we need to make sure, as members of parliament both in government and opposition, that the resources are there in the community to support them. It is one thing to talk about it but it is another thing to make sure that the resources are there.

A case in point is my own community. I have been approached by local secondary schools about their plight in trying to provide appropriate health support for students. I have spoken to a number of school counsellors who have approached me, and we are now trying to work out how we can actually provide a mental health service outside school hours because, unfortunately, poor mental health does not just happen in school hours when counsellors can deal with it. Unfortunately it is a 24/7 task.

I am not trying to place blame on any particular government or party, but unfortunately the way the health system is structured in this country, between state and federal, there are gaps, and this is one of the areas where there are gaps. We are putting young people in our community at risk because the health systems cannot work together effectively. It has been made very clear that, particularly in my town, there a number of young people who are at risk because of poor mental health.

They do what they can in the school environment, but there are two concerns: one is the legal issue of what they do out of school hours and the other is their own resources. I would like to particularly commend Dr Rutten and Dr Sandra Marshall, from Gawler, who have been working with me trying to establish a model for mental health care in our community. One has to straddle the federal Medicare system and the state system, both their health and education systems, to get the resources available to support young people in our community. Make no mistake, young people in our communities—for a whole range of factors—are at increasing risk of poor mental health and suicide.

The other issue I would like to touch upon, in terms of suicide, is that this is one area in which men significantly outdo women. Unfortunately, four out of five suicides are men. All suicides are very sad, but the fact that men disproportionately suicide at a higher rate than women is particularly disturbing—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: More successful, that is correct unfortunately, and we need to understand that. I was provided with some data on and trends in suicide in age groups. Some years ago, it was younger people, those in their late teens and early 20s, who were the highest group for men, and it is interesting that now, 15 or 20 years later, that has shifted to the age group it is now.

It is interesting that what it says, basically, is that, when we had a big blip or increase in that risk rate for that group, for some reason we did not deal with it correctly because that group now, who are 15 or 20 years older, is where the high peak is in terms of suicide. We need as a society, and certainly as governments, to understand what we need to do to tackle that.

The suicide rate in this country is quite revealing. For example, according to the latest figures, 2016 established that 2,866 people died from intentional self-harm or suicide in this country, that 5.8 women per 100,000 end up taking their own life nationwide and that the figure for men is more than three times higher at 17.8 per 100,000 population. Sometimes figures can tell a story, but they also can hide a story in the sense that these figures do not actually show the impact of suicide on our families, our communities and our nation, because for every person who takes their own life there are brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and children involved in our communities. So the impact of suicide in our society is much bigger than those figures tend to suggest.

I strongly support this motion and commend the member for raising this because part of this is initially getting the awareness, but we cannot stop here. We need to make sure—and I am sure we will interrogate the budget in coming weeks—that there is appropriate funding to provide those resources needed for not only community organisations but also doctors and other healthcare professionals at the community level to make sure we work with people to keep them safe. With those few comments, I fully endorse the motion.

Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (12:11): I rise today to speak in support of World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day on 10 and 13 September respectively. In the Narrunga electorate, I am immensely proud to advise that we have two suicide prevention networks, which have been operating for about two years, and whose volunteer, community-minded members are making a real difference to the lives of local people with mental illness and those who care for them.

Those two networks are the SOS Yorkes (SOS of course standing for Stamp Out Suicide), led by Vanessa Boully and secretary Tessa Colliver; and the SOS Copper Coast Suicide Prevention Network Incorporated, led by the wonderful chair, David Boots, and his secretary, Gerry Guerin. I have also been involved in the formation of a new SOS group in Mallala, which is still in its infancy, and I look forward to following that process through.

Both the networks—the SOS Copper Coast and the SOS Yorkes—have been supported by the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist and were formed by drivers from their local councils, the Yorke Peninsula Council and the Copper Coast Council. Both these networks could not do what they do without the dedication and community spirit of local volunteers committed to the cause of suicide prevention.

I believe that there is movement to form additional suicide prevention networks in the Wakefield Regional Council area and in the Barunga West regional council area, such is the recognised need for more to be done to arrest the alarming rates of suicide in our regional areas. It is a health issue that does not discriminate; it affects young and old, male and female, and the need for support and promotion of available services is particularly strong in regional and rural areas, where people cannot just be geographically isolated but socially isolated as well.

I would like also to take this opportunity to note the important work of the Station Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre at Wallaroo and the Point Pearce Aboriginal Community Centre, which also raises awareness about suicide prevention in the course of their activities. Recently, I read that they have just received grant funding for a co-venture to work on the Roses in the Ocean initiative and to develop materials for local distribution—a wonderful cause that will certainly have a profound impact.

The SOS Copper Coast network also recently received funding to implement a self-harm minimisation program for young females—another target need, which will initiate conversations in schools and provide useful resources. As part of their current awareness activities, SOS Yorkes is screening a documentary about suicide and the ripple effects of support, inspiration and hope at the Maitland Town Hall on 10 September, being World Suicide Prevention Day, an event I am excited to attend in the company of the Hon. John Dawkins from another place.

Both SOS Yorkes and SOS Copper Coast are making a real difference to the lives of people living with or affected by mental illness, and I commend all their volunteer members for their dedication towards this wonderful cause. They promote available local services at field days, markets, sporting clubs and community groups and in the local press. They lead training sessions, run suicide prevention workshops and crisis courses and run guest speaker programs. Indeed, I attended a speech by the wonderful Wayne Schwass—North Melbourne Premiership player, former Sydney player and now a wonderful suicide and mental health advocate—at the Wallaroo Bowling Club in the lead-up to the last election. It was a truly enlightening experience and enjoyed a great deal by many in the audience.

They do all this to raise awareness of the rising prevalence of suicide and mental illness. Sadly, more and more young people are presenting with mental illness. I am aware that SOS Copper Coast is about to open a youth centre where youth can visit, socialise, seek help if they wish and generally feel supported and valued. All such activities serve to highlight the message that mental health is as important as physical health and that it is okay to ask for help.

Suicide rates among farmers are far too high, and this is another vital target group. Much has been written about this group, who are predominantly men, who often work long hours alone and who have had ingrained in them that it is best to toughen up and get on with it. They ignore ill health, fight against going to the doctor and do whatever it takes to avoid looking weak. This mindset is gradually changing, and it is through the efforts of groups such as the SOS Yorkes and the SOS Copper Coast that this change is finally occurring—that talking about suicide is becoming an easier conversation.

This is a huge and sad issue. Many in this place today have shared the statistic of one person dying of suicide every 40 seconds around the world. In Australia, 2,866 people died in 2016, and every year 65,000 Australians make a suicide attempt. These are truly alarming statistics. Every time the Yorke Peninsula and the Narungga communities feel the loss of another resident to suicide it is a raw experience. Sadly, it happens all too regularly.

As we speak, I know there are local Narungga volunteers helping to man the suicide prevention network stand at the Jubilee Pavilion at the Royal Adelaide Show. I thank all for those efforts, too, because it has been shown that the more we speak about suicide, which has so long been hushed up, the more people will understand that it is okay to get help and that, if you are experiencing a mental health issue, there are people and resources out there ready to help you and that you have a real health problem that is far more prevalent than you could ever have imagined.

I look forward to continuing to advocate for increased mental health facilities in regional areas. There is a desperate and drastic need, and there are disused facilities scattered around the place—remnants from the terrible Transforming Health policy—that would make ideal facilities for such a cause. Indeed, the former Kadina hospital would be one such perfect facility. There is much work being done, but even more that we have to do. R U OK? Day and World Suicide Prevention Day also serve to keep this important topic in the limelight, highlighting the need for more to be done. For this reason, I commend this important motion to the house.

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (12:17): I rise today to support the member for Waite's motion on World Suicide Prevention Day and R U OK? Day, which will both be held next week, on Monday 10 September and Thursday 13 September, respectively. R U OK? is a not-for-profit suicide prevention organisation that helps raise awareness by encouraging communities to look out for one another and ask the question, 'Are you okay?' I am a big supporter of the work that R U OK? have done, and are continuing to do, by encouraging everyone to connect meaningfully with people around them and support anyone who is struggling with life.

The profile of mental health has been raised significantly in the past three years through the wonderful work of charities such as R U OK?. However, there is still a lot more to do. As I sat down to put these words together, I started to look through the research and statistics surrounding mental health and suicide. It was a real eye-opener for me personally, and I am happy to assume that the majority of the general public would not know how prolific the problem is in our community today. If you can bear with me, Mr Acting Speaker, I would like to share some of the more distressing statistics that I came across.

Currently, statistics show that around one in five Australians aged 16 to 85 experiences a mental illness every 12 months. The most common mental illnesses are depression, anxiety and substance use disorder. These three types of mental illness often occur in combination. For example, a person with an anxiety disorder could also develop depression, or a person with depression might misuse alcohol or other substances in an effort to self-medicate.

Of the 20 per cent of Australians who experience mental illness in any one year, 11½ per cent have one disorder and 8½ per cent have two or more disorders. This means that almost half—or 45 per cent—of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Thus, the number of Australians who are indirectly and directly impacted by mental illness is immense when you consider family, friends and loved ones.

In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicated that 'preliminary data showed an average of 7.85 deaths by suicide in Australia each day', which equated to 2,866 deaths in 2016. While suicide accounts for a relatively small proportion (1.8 per cent) of all deaths in Australia, it does account for a greater proportion of deaths from all causes within specific age groups. For example, suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians in the age bracket of 15 to 44 years old. Fewer Australians die of skin cancer than of suicide, yet we know comparatively little about causation or when or how best to effectively intervene.

Men are at greatest risk, as was identified by the member for Light, and have accounted for up to three-quarters of deaths from suicide. Other groups that are also at risk include Indigenous Australians, who experience an overall rate of more than double that of non-Indigenous Australians; the LGBTI community, who experience a rate of four times that of those who identify as straight; people in rural and remote communities; and also children.

I know that these statistics may have been a lot to take in, but I feel it is important to give voice to those hard truths. It is well known that suicide prevention is an enormously complex and sensitive challenge worldwide and that our community is not alone in facing these challenges, but asking one simple question, 'Are you okay?' could be the start of a conversation that could save someone's life. I certainly believe it will have an impact in delivering a reduction in these harrowing statistics.

To do my bit to raise awareness, I joined the R U OK? charity as an ambassador last year and attended a 'conversation convoy' event at the Tauondi Aboriginal College in Port Adelaide. Despite the bad weather on the day, the local event, just one in a program of fantastic events that raised the profile of R U OK?, also served the purpose of educating everyone who attended.

We heard from community ambassador Mitch McPherson, who spoke about the loss of his brother to suicide. It was clear on that day that the children showed great interest in what Mitch had to say and really absorbed the importance of his message to look out for each other. There is often no one sign or symptom to look out for, and I think that is what the children took away from that discussion.

I am pleased that our government is doing its bit to tackle suicide awareness across our state, with the establishment of the Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention, led by the Hon. John Dawkins of the other place. He has taken the lead by writing to all local government mayors, as well as state and federal members of parliament, encouraging them to engage with their local communities on this important topic.

Whilst there is a dedicated World Suicide Prevention Day, and, of course, R U OK? Day, I urge everyone to continue to ask the question and to keep checking in with their family, friends and other people in our community, and keep this issue at the forefront of people's minds. Take a minute to have a conversation because that one minute could actually save someone's life.

We simply cannot lose momentum around these conversations and must maintain our focus on reducing the prevalence of these issues in our broader community. I acknowledge and thank R U OK? for the important work they continue to undertake throughout Australia. I commend the member for Waite for bringing this motion to the house and for giving voice to a very important issue facing not only our communities and our state but the broader Australia.

Mrs POWER (Elder) (12:24): I rise in support of the motion to recognise that 10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day and 13 September is R U OK? Day. I would like to thank the member for Waite for bringing this important motion to the house. R U OK? Day is our national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that any day is the day to ask, 'Are you okay?' and support those who may be struggling with life. The day is about inspiring people to start these conversations every day of the year. Taking part can be as simple as having a conversation that could change a life.

There is a four-step simple process to asking people if they are okay. It may just start with that niggling feeling that someone you know or care about is not behaving as they normally would. Perhaps they seem a bit out of sorts, a bit agitated, a bit down or withdrawn, or they are just not themselves. R U OK? Day is a great reminder to trust that gut instinct and act on it. By starting a conversation and commenting on the changes you have noticed, you could help that family member, friend or workmate to open up. If they say they are not okay, you can follow the conversation steps to show them that they are supported and help them find strategies to better manage the load. If they are okay, that person will know you are someone who cares enough to ask.

The four steps recommended by R U OK? Day are: (1) ask, (2) listen—never underestimate the power of listening, (3) encourage action, and (4) check in. Essentially, these four steps are just about asking the question, genuinely listening and genuinely caring. I think it is also important to note that R U OK? Day is a good opportunity to reflect on yourself and ensure that you, too, are doing okay. We are always better placed to help others when we are in a good headspace ourselves.

Complementing R U OK? Day is World Suicide Prevention Day, which will be held next Monday, on 10 September. The World Health Organisation estimates that over 800,000 people die by suicide each year. That is one person every 40 seconds. In Australia more than 2,800 people die each year, with the latest figures from 2016 telling us that 2,866 Australians took their own life. Recent research tells us that hundreds of Australians are impacted by each suicide death. Research also tells us that some 65,000 people attempt suicide each year and hundreds of thousands of people think of suicide.

Take a minute to think about the pain and suffering being felt by every single person impacted by suicide. Take a minute to think about how much pain and suffering one must be experiencing to think that suicide is the best option. When I reflect on the fact that, for some, suicide seems the best option going forward, my heart breaks and I know that we must do more to educate our community, promote the services that are available, strengthen our communities and connections and, in doing so, prevent loved ones and individuals in our community from taking their own life.

World Suicide Prevention Day's theme this year is 'Working together to prevent suicide', encouraging collaboration with as many suicide prevention awareness-raising events as possible being held on or around World Suicide Prevention Day. The theme this year complements the efforts of R U OK? Day perfectly because we all have a role to play in preventing suicide in our community. Again, I would like to encourage everyone to take the time to have those conversations when you notice something has changed and to help reach out to others.

I am proud that the Marshall Liberal government recognises the importance of mental health and wellbeing in our community and the tragedy of suicide in our community. The Premier established the Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention which conducted its first meeting just recently on 27 July 2018. The Premier appointed the Hon. John Dawkins as the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention, so I would like to acknowledge the work that the Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention is doing. I would also like to acknowledge the many not-for-profit organisations, schools, organisations, groups, volunteers and individuals for the work they are doing to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all people of all ages in our community. I commend this motion to the house.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): The member for Hammond.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:29): Thank you, Mr Acting Speaker, and I acknowledge the fine job you are doing today. I support the motion by the member for Waite:

That this house—

(a) recognises that 10 September 2018 is World Suicide Prevention Day and 13 September 2018 is R U OK? Day;

(b) recognises the importance of both these days in raising awareness and understanding about suicide and its prevention among the community; and

(c) acknowledges all the workplaces, community groups and schools organising R U OK? Day events to encourage conversations among their peers.

It is absolutely vital to have these conversations. I want to talk about some of the groups that are involved. One of these groups is obviously R U OK? I attended an event in Murray Bridge where they were doing a trip around the nation. They had been right around over several weeks. They had been down to Tasmania, which was their last stop, before they came into Murray Bridge, and they were at the Murray Bridge High School. I attended, along with the member for Barker, Tony Pasin, and the mayor, Brenton Lewis.

They had a very interactive presentation to make sure they got the students involved. They managed to get them to interact with the discussion, not least by using a drone inside the stadium to get a group photo of everyone. R U OK? is recognised as a day, but it is something that I know the organisation wants to have as something that happens every day, because it is absolutely vitally important that we do have these conversations every day. As was discussed before, the rate of suicide in this country is close to 3,000 cases a year, and we must all do our bit to assist people so that they do not go down this path.

I may not mention all the groups, but I want obviously to acknowledge the suicide prevention networks. I am involved in one at Coorong and Murray Bridge. Another group, MATES in Construction, do such great work in having meetings with people on the worksite. I do not have the exact statistics with me today, but there is far too high a rate of suicide in the construction industry, and some of that is linked to the ebbs and flows of construction. That happens from time to time, but I want to acknowledge that group for the excellent work that they do in combating suicide.

Obviously, I also want to acknowledge StandBy support group. Tracey Wanganeen has been mentioned. I certainly have had a lot to do with Tracey, her work and her group. Another group that I have had a close association with is Ski For Life, where I think over four days they ski from Murray Bridge up to Renmark.

The Hon. A. Piccolo: Bill Stockman is involved in that.

Mr PEDERICK: Yes, he is, absolutely. There are skiers from all over the place. There were a few from interstate. Some skiers take the challenge to ski for the whole four days, which is a great effort over many hundreds of kilometres of the River Murray. It is always a great event to go down to speak and support these people at the breakfast the day they leave Sturt Reserve in Murray Bridge, spreading their message. It is young ones and older people. It is a great thing that they have the boats available—obviously, recreational ski boats and support boats—to make sure that that event goes ahead, and they have great control over it.

Certainly, the Marshall Liberal government has forged ahead with efforts to tackle South Australia's suicide rate and raise awareness across the state by appointing the Hon. John Dawkins from the other place as the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention. John did a huge amount of work from opposition with regard to suicide prevention. In fact, he was recognised by many of these groups as the advocate from the parliament and that was from opposition, so I commend him for that. He is the absolute advocate in this challenge. I commend him for his new role and the team he has around him.

The 13-member Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention has been established and conducted its first meeting on 27 July 2018. It was an introductory meeting that included the planning of future meetings for this year and the development of the terms of reference for the council. Their next meetings are due to take place on 26 September, part of which the Premier will be attending, and 14 November 2018. I must say that the Governor, the Hon. Hieu Van Le, has requested to host the members of the Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention for afternoon tea at the conclusion of their November meeting. He is very supportive of the work being done in this space.

The Hon. John Dawkins MLC, the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention, has written to all local government mayors and state and federal members of parliament, introducing the Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention and encouraging them all to engage with their local councils and communities, particularly those that do not have an established suicide prevention network. To date, two local councils that currently do not have a formalised suicide prevention network operating in their regions have written in reply to the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention. As a result, his office and the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist are now in liaison and working with them both.

This truly demonstrates the impact and the positive outcomes that can be achieved when members engage with local councils and communities to build on the already established suicide prevention networks across the state. Alongside this is the establishment of an across-government agencies issues group on suicide prevention. This group will include the Department of the Premier and Cabinet assistant chief executive and the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment as well as other senior officials from across government.

The issues group will be led by Mr Sam Duluk MP, Acting Speaker as I speak. As a working group of the council, the issues group on suicide prevention will take references from the council, provide reports and make recommendations of matters for discussion. It will also work closely with the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, suicide prevention staff and the South Australian Mental Health Commission to identify key cross-sector issues for the public sector in suicide prevention. Nominees for that group are being finalised.

I note that there is a Royal Adelaide Show stand. I commend everyone who is attending that and supporting the South Australian suicide prevention networks. They are handing out 'staying safe' kits. It is a very good thing to have at the Adelaide Show, which can have 500,000 visitors per annum. There is also the annual Ride Against Suicide coming up, the Onkaparinga Seaside Walk for Suicide Prevention and a range of other events happening across this state.

I would like to commend everyone involved in the work against suicide, and I support all the agencies, whether they be government or non-government. I would especially like to acknowledge all the volunteers involved. I commend the motion.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr Duluk): The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (12:39): Thank you, sir. May I first commend you, as Acting Speaker, for moving this motion and indicate my overwhelming support for it. I would also like to acknowledge the Hon. John Dawkins in another place, whom the Premier has appointed as his own advocate to investigate and deal with suicide prevention by way of consultation and reporting back. This is a very important issue for the government. It is a very important matter that has taken a long time—in fact, centuries—to come out from behind cover and be dealt with.

I would like to place on the record my continued work to try to ensure that the code of ethics in respect of journalists ought to be modernised to enable the publication of stories in relation to suicide. Historically, their code requires the non-publication of these stories for the obvious reason of respecting families who have lost someone in these circumstances, but as long as we conceal this it will not become a mainstream health issue. Unlike having a broken leg, where it is pretty obvious you cannot walk, a broken mind and emotional distress are not easily visible, and that is why it is important that we continue to have these roles.

It is also important that our responsible media outlets have an opportunity to discuss this issue. We did not talk about road accidents, but we now have a tally and programs. It is important that we deal with this sensibly to hopefully have a greater reduction because we are now at a stage where the known suicides in South Australia are double the road accident deaths, which get all the attention, and it is time that changed.

Of course, we have come a long way: 150 years ago, attempted suicide was a criminal offence. In fact, capital punishment was the sentence; that is how absurd the situation was. It was seen obviously as a breach of God's law in relation to taking one's life and that was unacceptable and unconscionable. We had churches that, until recent times, would not even allow the burial of a person who had committed suicide within the church's cemetery, so we need to grow up and understand the significance of what is happening here. From very young people across to the mature-aged, we are losing our friends, colleagues and family when it is entirely preventable. Of course, we have to act in relation to that.

I can recall circumstances throughout my life—and I am sure every member here would share this—where suicides occurred. Sometimes they were hushed up. As a very young child, I used to walk past a neighbouring property only to find when I was about six that the mother who lived in that household went to the dam, left a kerosene lit on the dam bank and drowned herself. The men in the district, including my dad, had to go down and trawl the dam to recover her body. I did not understand as a six year old what had happened to her. She was just a nice lady who used to give me a bunch of violets for my mother when it was raining, so you do not always understand.

I can remember being asked to do a Geoffrey Robertson equivalent of a panel in relation to youth suicide about 30 years ago. My late husband and I got a phone call in the middle of the night to say that his 16-year-old nephew had hanged himself in Balaklava. These things come and blindside us. Last year, my own brother, a farmer, shot himself. It is something the family has to deal with, but we should not have to treat these things as something that is secret, a moral failing or something that is untreatable. It is the responsibility of all of us to do something. I thank you, Mr Acting Speaker, for bringing this matter to the attention of the house. I urge all members to support this motion and to actively recognise the significance of what we need to do here and, very obviously, I think, when the signs are there, ask: 'Are you okay?'

Dr HARVEY (Newland) (12:45): I rise today in support of this motion to recognise the importance of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September and R U OK? Day on 13 September. I would like to thank the member for Waite for introducing this motion and also acknowledge his longstanding interest in this important area.

As many have acknowledged here today, suicide has a devastating impact on our community. It is an issue that has no doubt impacted on someone we all know and this is true for almost everyone in the wider community. Tragically, suicide is the leading cause of death in young people. In Australia, more than 2,800 people take their life each year. This is more than car accidents and more than infectious diseases. In fact, 65,000 people attempt suicide each year.

Looking more broadly at the issue of mental illness and some of the statistics around that, about 45 per cent of all Australians over the course of their life will experience some kind of mental illness; one-third of that number will not seek help at all. One of the greatest roadblocks to reducing this trend and the stigma around suicide and mental illness is the number of people who do not seek help or do not necessarily even know where to go for help. This highlights the incredible importance of increasing community awareness and also increasing community understanding of suicide and mental illness. As such, the days when we are discussing this motion play an important part in increasing this awareness and, in particular, of some of the local services.

I want to touch briefly on one of the local services that I have had a little bit to do with in recent times: Talk Out Loud, which is a great local organisation that has been very successful in providing support, particularly for younger people. It goes about this by providing a safe environment and providing and building networks of support around people. As the member for Morphett mentioned before, two of the three leading risk factors in suicide are people who feel disconnected and also people who feel that they are a burden. Engaging families and engaging networks around people is a very powerful way of reducing the risk of suicide.

Demonstrating the success of the organisation Talk Out Loud, I attended a fundraiser where about 400 people attended, which is really quite incredible and which again demonstrates the way that they have been able to build these networks. There were also a number of very inspirational young speakers who themselves had attempted suicide and who spoke about their own experiences, which I think had a powerful and transformational impact on other people and which will go a long way to saving lives.

I would also like to acknowledge those groups that may not strictly be engaged in suicide prevention but nevertheless play an important role in preventing or reducing the risk of suicide—that is, some of our local community groups. There are two that are quite successful: one of them is starting out and the other one is a very successful organisation, the Tea Tree Gully Men's Shed, which is bursting at the seams. The Tea Tree Gully council has done a fantastic job there. Whilst so many local community organisations are reducing in number, this group is expanding in enormous numbers.

There is also the Kersbrook shed, which is just starting out. This was put together in the aftermath of the Sampson Flat bushfire. Many people are still recovering from that. These groups really provide an environment for people to come together. They may or may not want to work on particular projects, but the most important thing is that they are connected to other people and they are having conversations with other people. If they want to talk about the issues that are concerning them, they can, but if they do not, then they are very welcome not to as well.

This really brings us to the importance of a day like R U OK? Day. It is such an important day on the calendar and really reminds us of how important such a simple question can be—that is, 'Are you okay?' I think as a community we often try to avoid speaking about suicide, when in fact one of the best things that can be done is to have that conversation. Again, going back to those risk factors of people being disconnected and feeling like they are a burden, if we promote those conversations with people, then that will go a long way to reducing those risks.

Suicide prevention is certainly a priority for the new government. The new government has appointed the Hon. John Dawkins from the other place as the Premier's Advocate for Suicide Prevention. He has established the 13-member Premier's Council on Suicide Prevention, which is doing a lot of work, some of which involves engaging with local councils and helping to set up new suicide prevention networks. I know that at least two councils that have not formally established such groups are now liaising with the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist to set them up.

These suicide prevention networks are a fantastic program that really is focused on building that grassroots level support and grassroots networks amongst volunteers that help address this issue of social isolation. Importantly, it is also anchored by expert advice and support from SA Health, which helps to ensure that everyone is working in the best way possible in the same direction.

The government has also established an across-government-agencies issues group on suicide prevention. This group includes the Chief Executive of the Premier and Cabinet, the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment and a number of senior officials across government. This is led very ably, I am sure, by the member for Waite. The issues group will take references from the council and provide reports and make recommendations of matters for discussion. It will also work closely with the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, Suicide Prevention and the SA Mental Health Commission to identify key cross-sector issues for the public sector in suicide prevention. Nominees for this group are currently being finalised.

As I mentioned, this is an important issue for the new government. It is an important issue for me, and it is one that we need to address. For these reasons, I am very happy to commend this motion to the house.

Mr DULUK (Waite) (12:53): I thank all members who have participated in this debate, namely, the members for Kaurna, Morphett, Light, Narungga, Colton, Elder, Hammond, Newland and the Deputy Premier. I thank in particular the member for Light for his heartfelt contribution. I know he is very actively involved in his community on these issues. I thank the Deputy Premier as well for her contribution and for being so open about the change that is required to recognise these important matters going forward.

Motion carried.

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