Australian Greens spokesperson for Mental Health, Senator Penny Wright, will travel to Western Australia today to begin the first leg of an Australian-wide tour to hear about the unique issues affecting mental health care services for Australians living in rural, regional and remote areas.

 Senator Wright said while the Federal Government had injected a significant amount of funding into mental health over the past two years, people living in rural and remote areas were still encountering problems accessing quality mental health services compared to their urban counterparts.

The Government should be building on its commitment to mental health as there remains significant unmet need for essential services, especially in rural areas, Australian Greens spokesperson for Mental Health, Senator Penny Wright, said today.

“On Budget night on Tuesday, mental health looked like poor Cinderella not invited to the ball,” Senator Wright said.

Thank-you to Newcastle!

In April I visited Newcastle in NSW and caught up with the following:
- Professor Prasuna Reddy (of the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health) 
- ARAFMI (Association for Relatives and Friends of Mental Illness, Hunter region)
- Monet's Catering

The Australian Greens share the concerns of some mental health experts that mental health services first funded by the government almost two years ago have not been adequately progressed from that initial commitment to the critical phase of delivery and implementation in the community.

Suicides on the Fleurieu Peninsula, and in the Strathalbyn and Adelaide Hills region over the last 18 months have highlight an urgent need to fill gaps in mental health services for regional, rural and remote South Australia, Greens spokesperson for Mental Health, Senator Penny Wright, said.

"In developing its suicide prevention strategy, the South Australian government must listen closely to those who have experienced serious mental illness and those who have lost a loved one to suicide to identify where the gaps in services and supports are," Senator Wright said.

Senator WRIGHT (South Australia) (14:43): My question is to Senator Ludwig representing both the Minister for Indigenous Health and the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing. My question relates to the government's response to the tragic incidence of youth suicide in Indigenous communities. This has recently been highlighted by the Northern Territory inquiry into youth suicide. Unfortunately, this problem is not a new phenomenon. In June 2010 the Senate Community Affairs References Committee report The hidden toll: suicide in Australia acknowledged these issues.