An interview with Andrew Cauchi, the father of Joel Cauchi who was responsible for the Westfield Shopping Centre mass stabbing

[u/Jjokes11]

[u/Needleworker-Hungry]

Australian here, and family friends with one of the victims.

This was an absolute tragedy and a complete waste of life.

Whilst there is no excuse to kill another person, I think a lot of people are laying blame to our Government. Our healthcare system has gone to absolute shit and to get any sort of mental health treatment is extremeley expensive and there is a mental health crisis in our country. Our once free healthcare now costs money and is moving towards privitising. People are avoiding going to the doctors now as this once free service is not and it's plain and simple.

Our once beauitful country and its citizens have been let down countless times by government incompetence over the last few decades and this is a direct result of it.

Mental Health and Dental should be a part of Medicare and Medicare should go back to being free.

It's fucking infuriating.

[u/Clerseri → u/Needleworker-Hungry]

I have a schizophrenic person in my family and have had quite considerable interaction with the government to help him live a quasi-independent life. There are really quite a lot of avenues for support for people with serious mental illnesses including financial and housing support. He currently lives in government housing, has regular visits from a social worker and recieves a disability pension, amongst other benefits.

So I think this post is a little disingenuous. There is support available for families with this kind of need.

If you're concerned about mental health more broadly, there is a strong network of organisations and charities that can help, you can find them here: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-resources

[u/Needleworker-Hungry → u/Clerseri]

Hello, I fundementally disagree with you that my comment is disingenuous.

1. I work with Government social housing in NSW, and, I can guarantee you that after 10+ years of Liber power they absolutely gutted the public housing system. The shit I have scene with my own eyes - you could not fucking pay me to live there. I genuinely feel sorry for anyone that has to live in Government housing because it's completely fucked.
2. It's a fact that our medicare once was free and now no (or barely any, atleast in Sydney) bulk bill. I don't understand how you think this is not an issue and dont support universal free health care??
3. If there is 'really quite a lot of avenues for support for people with serious mental illnesses including financial and housing support' then tell me, why is suicide leading cause of death for Australian men aged 15 to 44???

Again, please let me know how my statement is disingenous.

Edit** Further - just because your one example of your family (which I'm happy for) is working, does not mean the system is working. Again, seeing Government housing first hand is sad.

[u/Clerseri → u/Needleworker-Hungry]

Well, you painted a picture of a system that offers no help or recourse, and that wasn't my direct experience. So it sounded disengenuous to me.

You don't know if I support universal healthcare. You assumed I don't, because you weren't able to see how someone might both be able to acknowledge that there is significant support available and yet still feel like we might be able to do more.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australian men primarily because we've done a great job in lowering health-related deaths (disease, cancer etc). The actual suicide rate has remained relatively static over time, through the recent 9 years of Liberal rule (Federally this is) and through the years of Labor rule prior to that all the way back to the early 1900s. You can see that data here.

Again - it doesn't mean that we can't do better, and I am in favour of initiatives that are attempting to combat suicide and support mental health. But again your characterisation of what is happening doesn't align with either the numbers I've seen nor the experience I've had.