Major parties, Labor and the Coalition, have both promised to increase funding for mental health services across Australia if they win the 3 May election.
Labor has pledged an extra $1 billion to expand mental health services, which includes opening an additional 31 walk-in clinics around the country.
Meanwhile, the Coalition will double the number of subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20.
Labor
Labor has announced it would roll out $1 billion to boost mental health services around Australia starting in January 2026, mostly building on existing programs and centres.
This funding would partly go towards opening 31 new Medicare mental health hubs and 20 dedicated “Youth Specialist Care Centres”.
Eight new headspace centres will also open, which is the national youth mental health foundation for 12-25 year olds.
The Government will also create an extra 500 psychology student places and upskill 200 medical professionals with a psychiatry qualification.
It will also match the Coalition’s recent pledge to set up a National Institute for Youth Mental Health, which would advise the government on mental health policy.
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced the institute in his budget reply speech late last month.
Coalition
The Coalition’s key policy has been to permanently double the number of subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20, which was the number offered during the pandemic.
This means up to 20 sessions with a psychologist per year would be partly or fully subsidised through Medicare, depending on the clinic’s fees.
Similarly to Labor, it has also committed to extra headspace sites and opening up youth-specific centres for complex mental-ill health, such as eating disorders.
Experts
Dr Pat McGorry, founding member of the organisation that later turned into headspace, said strong investment in mental health early intervention is “a bipartisan achievement of our country”.
The peak body, Mental Health Australia, has welcomed both funding pitches by Labor and the Coalition, urging all political parties and candidates to “prioritise mental health”.
CEO Carolyn Nikoloski is pushing for free mental health care for anyone under 25, noting that one in five people didn’t seek mental health support due to rising cost of living pressures in 2023-24.
