G'day, all. It's a pleasure to be here, and thank you for the nice introduction. Today we're talking about something that's pretty close to my heart.
I just want to start by saying thank you to Thomas and Kate for getting this group going. Congratulations on 12 years and on what you've done, and thank you to all of you for being here today.
We've got the likes of Movember here, the Fathering Project, the Australian Men's Health Forum and so many others. Thank you all for being here and having these conversations with us, because as elected representatives, we need to have these conversations to know where we can go to try to do the best for our people all around the country. So thank you for what you all do.
For those who don't know me, I'm Dan Repacholi, the Member for Hunter and Australia's first Special Envoy for Men's Health.
Putting politics aside, it doesn't matter whether you're green, blue, red, orange, whatever. It makes no difference in colour. We're the first government that's ever done anything specifically for blokes. This is a great thing by the Albanese Labor Government, something I couldn't be more proud of.
It's great to be here with Ged. Ged is my partner in crime in this area, and she is the way more sensible one, may I say. She is much more sensible and much better at everything we do.
It's been absolutely great going around with you, Ged, and having these conversations to see what we can do from different sides of politics and different departments within our government to make sure we're doing the best thing. So thank you for that.
I have two beautiful girls myself. They're 11 and 13, and they are unique and challenging, and it's great. They give me a lot of shit, to be perfectly honest, which is good. Whilst they're doing that, I know they're okay, because it's a fantastic relationship that I have with them.
My role as Special Envoy is really making sure that men's health gets the attention it deserves. From where we were 18 months ago to where we are today is like night and day in this space. A huge part of that is because of the work Ged has done as well, and the tour around the country that we've done. It is a really good thing.
But a big part of it is making sure fathers are not forgotten about. That's what's great about Dads Group. That's what's great about so many other groups out there doing work with fathers.
I'm a dad first, no matter what. I probably don't get to spend as much time with my lovely daughters as I would like to. Obviously, in our roles as politicians, it is hard. There's no doubt about that. But we've got to be there, and I want the best for my two daughters.
I've been a tradie, I've run businesses, I've been to five Olympics. I've travelled the world in a sport I love, but nothing compares to raising two beautiful little daughters.
My wife does an amazing job, and sometimes I feel I'm just along for that ride because of how often I am away. But making sure they know what respect is and what a father figure looks like is so important. That's what we need to continue to show.
When I grew up, Dad used to do what we now call parenting, which was called babysitting, when Mum would work night shifts on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. We now know it's not babysitting. We now know it's being part of our kids' lives and doing what we need to do to make sure they've got the best starts in life.
Around 80 per cent of fathers report receiving no formal help at all through this parenting process, when you go through the joys of having a child. The Movember report, More Than a Provider, signifies that more than anything. That report is one of the best I've seen in this space for us to go off and see that there is work that needs to be done.
To have you guys now at Deakin University looking into this and what Dads Group does will give more clarifying information and data that we can use at both state and federal levels to make informed decisions about where we need to help, where we need to make sure we're giving help, and where we need to showcase the need to help fathers along the way.
We do need to see how some of these services work, and we need to see some changes, whether it's antenatal appointments, hospital parenting programs or early childhood services.
Dads need to feel welcomed. Dads need to feel like it's a place where they can go and actually ask a question. When I had kids 13 and 11 years ago, it didn't feel like a space where I could go and ask questions about what was going on.
Everything was there for my beautiful wife and my beautiful kids, and it needs to be there for them. It's not about changing that at all. But you've got a captive audience. You've got a father there, another parent who is ready to take on some information as well.
We need to make sure we're getting that information to them, but also making sure they're okay, involved and part of the conversation.
Because when blokes feel part of that conversation, they feel like they belong. They feel like this is for them, and they feel like they can be the caregiver to those beautiful new kids. They can be the best parent and partner they can be, to their lovely wife or partner, to make sure they have the best start in this process as well. Because it is a change in our lives, as those of us who have had kids know.
We don't have to be perfect dads either, and nobody is ever the perfect parent. But what we do need to do is make sure we keep showing up, keep having those conversations and being there when we go through those tough times, because it does happen.
It's also about knowing there are other groups around that we can have conversations with as blokes. Knowing they're there and able to have these conversations with us, and knowing it's not just us going through these situations, that there are thousands of other blokes right around the country going through this, is a big burden off our shoulders.
Making sure we have access to groups like Dads Group, the Fathering Project and so many others is so important.
Governments have massive roles to play in this. We've expanded paid parental leave to 24 weeks and introduced superannuation on all government-funded parental leave. We want more families to have the flexibility to share caring responsibilities and more dads to have the opportunity to spend time with their kids. That's ultimately what we want to see.
But policy is only one part of this answer. We also need to change attitudes about becoming a father and a partner, and how dads are a huge part of our kids' lives and our loved ones' lives as well.
As Special Envoy for Men's Health, I spend a lot of time encouraging blokes to look after themselves and check in on their mates. Being a good dad also means looking after your own physical and mental health. It's an area we quite often forget about in ourselves. We'll do everything we can to look after others, but we won't look after ourselves.
To all the dads here today, I hope the one thing you take from this is that there are people out there who care about you. There are people out there who want to see you at your best, and sometimes you just have to ask.
Asking for that help is the hardest part along the way. But if we don't ask for it, sometimes people don't always see it, and then you're suffering in silence. So please make sure you're out there having those conversations.
Let's make sure dads feel included and not overlooked. Ultimately, that's why we're all here today: to make sure dads are part of this conversation, part of a great family structure, and can be the best they can be.
I look forward to hearing from you all. Thank you for having us, and I look forward to seeing where the day goes. Ultimately, I really look forward to seeing what all levels of politics can do to make a difference in this space, to make sure we're having those right conversations.
Thank you for the information you're going to share. Thank you to Thomas and Kate for getting this going 12 years ago. Keep up all the great work, all, and thank you.
