Election 2025: Anthony Albanese accused of broken vow on suicide rates

The nation’s leading suicide prevention body has accused Anthony Albanese of breaking a promise to prioritise the soaring rate of Australians taking their own lives.

Suicide Prevention Australia has criticised Labor in the release of a report showing that about 10,400 Australians had taken their own lives since 2022.

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The nation’s leading suicide prevention body has made on extraordinary attack on Anthony Albanese, accusing him of breaking a promise to prioritise the soaring rate of Australians taking their own lives and cutting vital programs in a move that will set the country back “years”.

Suicide Prevention Australia on Wednesday criticised Labor in the release of a report showing that about 10,400 Australians had taken their own lives since 2022 and condemning the Prime Minister for failing to fulfil his vow to make reducing suicide a “personal priority”.

While the Coalition and the Greens have made a series of commitments to address the issue, SPA accused Mr Albanese of scrapping programs such as the $15m Suicide Prevention Research Fund.

According to SPA analysis of data compiled by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 961 people died by suicide in NSW last year – the highest rate in ­nearly 50 years.

Victoria recorded its second-highest total of 772, just below the state’s 2023 record of 796.

“As a result, since the 2022 election, Australia has seen the highest suicide deaths in NSW and Victoria in half a century of records,” SPA’s report says.

The release of the report from the non-partisan group comes a month after the Albanese government announced it would scrap the $15m research fund.

“We’ve sought answers on why they did it, but we haven’t received any,” SPA chief executive Neives Murray said. “It was a shock.”

Ms Murray said the move was “incongruous” with government language on the significance of suicide prevention and a promise to address the issue.

Health Minister Mark Butler said any life lost was “a tragedy” but he was committed to turning the trend around with the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

“We have committed to over $1 billion of free mental health services so Australians can get the support they need, when and where they need it,” he said. “If re-elected, we will continue to work with Suicide Prevention Australia to ensure the most impactful use of suicide prevention research.”

Other peak bodies also raised alarm over the impending scrapping of the fund, including the Black Dog Institute, which said it was “deeply concerned” advances being made in suicide prevention would be hindered.

“The thinking around suicide prevention is evolving rapidly, and we need research funds to test these emerging prevention strategies,” Black Dog Institute research program lead Fiona Shand said.

While there was concern around the potential for the ­suicide rate to boom during Covid, rates remained relatively low. However, the decision by the RBA to increase interest rates 13 times over four years has sparked a boom in mental ill-health.

Ms Murray added that it was common for the impacts of conflicts, wars and crises such as Covid not to be properly felt for two to three years.

Orygen also criticised the government’s decision to scrap the ­research fund. “Research and evidence are critical in designing ­effective suicide prevention strategies, and losing this research funding would set Australia’s suicide prevention efforts back by years,” Orygen head of suicide research Jo Robinson said.

While Labor has sought to act on mental health distress for young Australians, in particular, by introducing a social media ban for under 16s, many in the sector have criticised the policy as not ­addressing the root of the issue.

SPA said that during its term in government, Labor had “shelved releasing its promised national suicide prevention strategy for 12 months” while making a range of other damaging policy decisions.

“The national strategy remains unfunded; suicide is still omitted from federal budget ‘wellbeing’ measures, and tens of millions in federal funds for critical services and research expire June 30,” the report says.

And, while the government announced $85m for the national suicide prevention leadership and support program, SPA accused Labor of seeking to frame the funding as “new money” when it was an extension of existing funds.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call Lifeline (13 11 14) or the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467), Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), or see a doctor.