Mr Speaker, before I begin, I acknowledge that suicide and suicide prevention can be distressing topics for some people, particularly those who have been personally affected by suicide or are experiencing difficult circumstances themselves.
I encourage anyone who may find this discussion and its subsequent debate distressing to take care of themselves and seek support if they need it.
Mr Speaker, every death by suicide represents a profound loss. For families, friends and communities, the consequences are devastating and enduring. For those experiencing suicidal distress, timely support, effective intervention and a system that responds to their needs can be critical.
We must therefore ask not simply whether suicide prevention is a government priority, but whether our systems are organised, equipped and accountable to deliver on that priority.
This Bill is designed to strengthen that framework in the ACT.
The bill seeks to establish a legislative basis for a Territory-wide suicide prevention plan, supported by suicide prevention plans across government directorates and agencies, including ACT Policing.
This recognises that suicide prevention cannot be the responsibility of a single minister, directorate or service. It requires a coordinated response across the institutions that interact with people, families and communities at different points in their lives.
The Bill will establish a Suicide Prevention Council to provide ongoing advice, promote collaboration and strengthen the role of lived experience in shaping policy and practice. Those with lived and living experience, their families and carers, frontline workers and community organisations must have a meaningful role in informing the decisions that affect them.
Importantly, the Bill seeks to move suicide prevention beyond broad commitments by establishing expectations for planning, implementation, evaluation and public reporting. It provides for annual reporting to this Assembly on progress, relevant data and trends, and the Government’s response to advice and recommendations.
That matters because commitments must be capable of scrutiny. This Assembly and the community should be able to understand what action is being taken, whether it is making a difference, where gaps remain and what further work is required.
The Bill recognises the importance of reliable information and evidence. Its provisions for a register of confirmed and suspected deaths by suicide, alongside appropriate safeguards for the handling and sharing of information, are intended to strengthen our capacity to understand patterns, identify emerging risks and inform prevention efforts. Mr Speaker, effective suicide prevention must also recognise that different people and communities experience different risks and barriers to support.
Policy must be informed by evidence, responsive to priority populations and capable of adapting as circumstances and needs change.
That includes taking seriously the experiences of men and boys, who account for the overwhelming majority of suicide deaths in our community, while ensuring that prevention efforts respond to the needs of all people at risk.
No single piece of legislation can prevent every death by suicide. Nor should we pretend that establishing plans, councils or reporting requirements is sufficient in itself. These mechanisms must lead to practical action, stronger coordination, better-informed decisions and a willingness to address shortcomings when they are identified.
Mr Speaker we now must establish the structures through which that work can be sustained, measured and scrutinised. Suicide prevention cannot be left to good intentions alone.
This Bill seeks to make prevention a more deliberate, coordinated and accountable responsibility across the ACT Government, with a stronger foundation for collaboration, continuous improvement and transparency. I want to acknowledge the way in which the ACT Greens have engaged with my office in good faith and the Minister and government in expressing their willingness to work together on this truly non-partisan issue. I commend the Bill to the Assembly.