Australians for Mental Health has welcomed the passing of landmark legislation in the NSW Parliament, which will require state agencies and departments to weigh the risks of suicide when issuing fines.
The suicide prevention bill will require these departments and agencies to develop an action plan to reduce suicide risks, which could include not issuing fines on public holidays and weekends when people don't have access to support services.
"The consequences of irresponsible debt collection can be tragic. We learnt that from the Robodebt scandal, in which people lost their lives ," Australians for Mental Health Executive Director Chris Gambian said.
"We welcome this reform from NSW. It is compassionate, and necessary and will ensure more than one arm of government is accountable for how their day to day actions affect the mental wellbeing of the people they are set up to serve.
"This guardrail is a great step, but we must expand these checks even further. All debt collectors should be required to follow practices which prevent the risk of suicide," Chris Gambian said.
Australians for Mental Health Ambassador James Stewart also worked in the debt-collection space. He said an ethical approach to debt collection has never been more important.
"It is not just about the one account you are chasing. It is about the debt cycle a person may already be trapped in. Predatory lending and easy credit from low-cost telco, utility and finance providers can set people up to fail. In that context, a small parking ticket or a state tax notice can be the straw that breaks the camel's back," James Stewart said.
"It is not enough to acknowledge the impact in the abstract. Businesses need procedures that identify customers in distress, route them down a safer path, and connect them with a trained team.
"Every person has a story behind their financial distress. Our job is to understand the why, offer help, and provide the right tools so people have a fair chance to get back on track," James Stewart said.
Australians for Mental Health has been calling for the following national action to embed wellbeing in all government decision making:
A Wellbeing Act to embed mental health and wellbeing in major policy and budget settings.
An Office of Mental Health and Wellbeing in PM&C to coordinate population mental health across portfolios.
An Independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commissioner reporting to the Prime Minister and Parliament.
