Letter of the Day

Mood for questions

ASCERTAINING the truth about rebel Labor MP Kaushaliya Vaghela’s allegations of government bullying is clearly very difficult, but that she has “been sickened by the government’s victim-blaming attitude” suggests a far more profound problem, not just in Victorian politics, but across society.

Announcing his election plans, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy “vowed to fix the mental health crisis”, with research consistently revealing a disturbing increase in mental ill-health in all walks of life, age groups and genders.

That the government recently invested millions of dollars into Victoria’s Mental Health System and found the system “broken” indicates mental health has become a matter of dire urgency.

Feeling “sick” in mind now seems so pervasive, one can only wonder what is engendering this. Reports have pointed to Covid and lockdowns, but they are not the sole contributors.

A new state government scheme will provide small business owners “with a free mental health app” for staff, and will employ mental health professionals in all public primary and secondary schools.

Calling it a crisis seems an understatement. Why are so many people, young and old, needing help?