The Albanese Labor Government has been left red faced after a full list of their cuts to important community mental health organisations has been exposed.
Documents provided by the Department of Health through Senate Estimates revealed 95 measures that had been cut by the Government, which included funding for at least 13 mental health organisations - including Black Dog Institute, Karitane, Raising Children’s Network and Roses in the Ocean.
It was also revealed that funding had been reduced for other mental health services such as headspace and Reachout Australia.
This follows the Prime Minister’s forced backflip on critical funding for Red Nose Australia, which provides critical support to grieving families, only after it hit the media.
Questioning in Community Affairs estimates by Senator Hollie Hughes then revealed a second backflip on the Government’s attempt to cut funding to Griefline.
Shadow Minister for Health, Senator Anne Ruston welcomed the fact that funding had finally been restored by late Friday afternoon for the 13 mental health organisations put at risk by Labor, but questioned why the eleventh hour backflips were necessary in the first place.
“We know that this government does not prioritise mental health. First they cut critical Medicare mental health funding in half, then they dissolved the National Mental Health Commission, and now have attempted to slash a significant number of important community mental health services,” Senator Ruston said.
“This just looks like a complete mess, and it would have been vulnerable Australians who paid the price.
“The Minister needs to be honest with Australians - Did he sign off on these cuts, and were they part of a cost saving plan that targeted mental health services?
“We are really concerned that this is another example of the Albanese Government cutting mental health support to help their budget bottom line.
“This proves Labor cannot be trusted when it comes to mental health. The Health Minister now needs to conduct a full audit of the important community mental health services that have been cut or had their funding reduced under this government.”
Senator Hughes said the extraordinary intervention by the Prime Minister with Red Nose, overriding his own Minister, had “made a farce of the grants process.”
“The government owes all the unsuccessful applicants for the grant an explanation”.
“Prime Minister Albanese’s intervention stunt occurred on the same day eminent grief support service, Griefline, had announced the closure of its helpline service, after 37 years, as a result of being unsuccessful in its grants application.
“We also saw the only lived experience peer support suicide prevention service Roses in the Ocean lose its funding on the same day the National Suicide Prevention Strategy was released by the Minister.”
The Coalition calls on the Albanese Government to be transparent with the Australian public and explain why these cuts were occurring in the first place.
ENDS
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