NSW Labor are today announcing that a Minns Labor Government will establish legislation to enshrine a whole-of-government approach to suicide prevention.
NSW Labor is commited to tackling the complexities of mental health in New South Wales and addressing the need for urgent action in suicide prevention.
Suicide prevention legislation has proven successful overseas in legislating whole-of-government prevention priorities, having been established in Japan, Argentina, Canada and recently in South Australia.
The need for a holistic approach has been established both in the NSW Government’s Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention, which notes prevention is everyone’s business and by the National Suicide Prevention Advisor, who noted, “no single government portfolio can undertake the breadth of actions that are required to reduce suicides, reduce suicide attempts and respond effectively to distress”.
Legislation that NSW Labor will introduce will be modelled on similar legislation in other jurisdictions. Options may include:
- Enshrine state-wide objectives to reduce suicide including promoting best practice suicide prevention, providing training and education and supporting priority population groups
- Legislate a Suicide Prevention Council comprised of senior public sector officials, Members of Parliament and suicide prevention leaders in the community including lived experience across a number of priority cohorts
- Require a State Suicide Prevention Plan including performance indicators, annual reporting, specific measures for priority populations and to progress the objectives of the Act
- Require every State authority to have regard to the State Suicide Prevention Plan
- Require prescribed state authorities to have suicide prevention action plans which set out how the authority will prevent suicide by employees and members of the community that they service or interact with
Ryan Park, NSW Shadow Minister for Health and Mental Health said,
‘All of us have a responsibility to do everything in our power to reduce the pain and suffering that occurs every time a person takes their own life.
‘This legislation is an opportunity to better coordinate, track and monitor the strategies and measures in place to try and prevent suicide.
‘It will make preventing suicide a real priority for Government agencies who deal with those most at risk because their plans and actions to reduce and prevent suicide from happening will be monitored with greater accountability placed on making sure we are doing everything possible to reverse the concerning trend we are seeing.
‘We certainly hope this is a bipartisan commitment and that the legislation is supported by MP’s across the chamber. That is what has recently occurred in South Australia and it would be great to see that happen here in NSW.
‘We will consult widely including with family members of those who have taken their own life to ensure the legislation is both comprehensive but also practical in its application.
RYAN PARK MP
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH
