Page 242 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 26 February 2014

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Statistics show that one in five women and one in eight men are likely to experience depression in their lifetime and one in three women and one in five men are likely to experience anxiety in their lifetime, which means that over one million people are living with depression and over two million have anxiety.

While fewer men than women suffer, women are more likely to seek help than men, so creative solutions are needed. Beyondblue has found ways based on research to bring openness to action on mental health. One campaign I might mention is the man therapy campaign, which you may have seen in the ad breaks for the summer cricket broadcasts. This creative campaign does not tell men to go and get help but it suggests that if they are stressed out, burnt out or down in the dumps, they should use man therapies and tell depression and anxiety who is boss. It is a great and imaginative campaign, and just one of many that beyondblue has on the go at the moment.

I commend the great work of beyondblue and encourage everyone to get behind their national road show. People interested in finding out more about beyondblue and the “take one step” road show should visit their website at www.beyondblue.org.au.

Brendon Robert Morrison

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (6.38): I rise tonight to commemorate the life of Brendon Robert Morrison who passed away on 17 February. He was born here in Canberra just a year before me and spent most of his life around Queanbeyan, the ACT and on his family’s properties. The funeral today was attended by more than 600 people. Key people, of course, were Brendon’s family. Pat Power and Simon Corbell were there, as was Brendan Smyth from the opposition, which was great to see, together with Gai Brodtmann and Mike Kelly.

Brendon Morrison was quite a larrikin and much larger than life. He was known in all walks of this community across the ACT. Bishop Pat described Brendon’s links to Queanbeyan, across Canberra and well beyond, including even Wandandian, which was pretty interesting.

Brendon was a life member of the Australian Labor Party, ACT branch, and spent most of his recent time at the Weston Creek sub-branch. He was also the plumbers union president at a previous time. We heard today of his efforts there on the committee of management for the plumbers union and how his forensic approach to detailing the plumbers union finances at each administrative meeting meant that they spent many hours late into the night dealing with these issues. He wanted to make sure that every dollar was spent correctly and he would not let them leave until they could explain how it was spent.

We heard today that they were told, “It is not your money. It is theirs; so spend it wisely.” He will be missed by all. There were people there today from the union and many of the unions across the ACT, from his fishing club, the Vikings Fishing Club and, of course, from the Rural Fire Service. He belonged to the same group as Brendan Smyth.


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