Page 4091 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 22 October 2019
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“respect”. We need to maintain the trust with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members so that they will continue to talk to us, because at present I know some of them are saying, “Why should we even bother?”
I acknowledge that the minister today has apologised for the delay and silence over the last decade and recognised the distress, anger and frustration that the lack of action has caused in the community. I am pleased that finally the community has, I hope, been afforded the respect it deserves. What is left now, of course, is to see real action.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
At 10.40 am the sitting was suspended until the ringing of the bells.
The bells having been rung, Madam Speaker resumed the chair at 10.45 am.
Suicide prevention
Ministerial statement
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, Minister for Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety and Minister for Mental Health) (10.45): I rise to make the following statement on suicide in the ACT, in accordance with the motion moved by Ms Bresnan, and passed on 28 March 2012 in this place, committing the Minister for Mental Health to present a biannual ministerial statement on suicide prevention.
In late 2016 the ACT government, as a strategic priority, appointed me as its first dedicated minister for mental health and suicide prevention. Mental health and wellbeing are key priorities for the ACT government. We are committed to enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of our community by focusing on the integration of services, prevention and early support, and the prevention of suicide and self-harm. In accordance with the ninth parliamentary agreement, a key priority for me in the mental health portfolio is achieving a sustained reduction in the rate of suicide in the ACT by 2020. Suicide is an issue globally, nationally and locally.
Across Australia, suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 44 years, and the second leading cause of death for people aged 45 to 54 years. Each year in Australia there are an estimated 65,000 suicide attempts, with the majority of these suicide attempts being made by females. Three-quarters of suicide deaths are male. In Australia in 2018, 3,046 people took their own lives by suicide. This was more than double the national road toll and accounted for approximately 105,370 years of potential life lost in 2018.
These are sobering statistics which are even more concerning when considering that behind each suicide there are friends, families and communities that are deeply affected. This underscores why continued and coordinated action to prevent suicide is crucial for Australia and for the ACT. This is also why it is crucial for us to report on the occurrence of suicide in Australia and in the territory. This allows us to understand the patterns of suicide and keeps us accountable for our suicide prevention activity.
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