Victoria will introduce a special tax as early as next year to help fund mental health services and fix the state’s “broken” system, following an interim report from a royal commission, ABC News reports
In the report tabled in State Parliament, Victoria’s mental health royal commission said even though it was barely halfway through its work, there were matters requiring “immediate action”.
The commission’s chair, Penny Armytage, said it was clear the system was “failing” and all the evidence the commission had heard had reinforced that fact.
The report urged the Victorian Government to introduce “a levy or tax”.
Premier Daniel Andrews told Parliament the report was “harrowing” reading and his Government would implement all the recommendations in the report, including the levy.
The recommendations also included:
Ms Armytage said there had been “chronic underfunding over decades” in mental health.
“We think that it is the time for us to address what is a chronic issue where people have suffered in silence for way too long.”
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Victoria to introduce new mental health services tax in wake of ‘harrowing’ royal commission report (ABC News)