Labor Unveils $1 Billion Mental Health Plan in Re-Election Bid
The funding will expand free public mental health services across Australia, targeting youth care, training, and accessibility ahead of the May 3 election.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a $1 billion mental health investment as a cornerstone of Labor's re-election campaign.
- The plan includes $500 million for 20 youth specialist care centres, $225 million for 31 Medicare mental health centres, and $200 million for 58 Headspace services.
- An additional $90 million will fund 1,200 new training places for mental health professionals to address workforce shortages.
- Mental health experts, including Mental Health Australia and Orygen, praised the initiative as a 'landmark investment' to improve access to free care.
- The announcement sets up a clear policy contrast with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's pledge to restore 20 Medicare-subsidized psychology sessions, emphasizing different approaches to mental health reform.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation 
The Guardian 
The Sydney Morning Herald 
SBS News 