Ms SPENCE (Yuroke—Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Community Sport, Minister for Youth) (11:21): It is an honour to rise today to acknowledge the work of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, which could not be more important for our young people, because every young person could share a story of someone’s struggle with mental illness, whether it be a story of their classmate, their colleague, their friend or too often their own. And I thank Amelia Morris for her heartfelt words at the joint sitting yesterday.

Young people aged between 15 and 24 experience a mental health condition at the highest rate of any age group, and about 75 per cent of all lifetime cases of anxiety, mood, impulse control and substance use disorders emerge by the age of 24. At such a formative time and when young people are experiencing so much change and transition, young people’s experiences of mental health are holding them back—holding them back from forming relationships, gaining employment, becoming independent, achieving academic success and pursuing their dreams.

The royal commission’s final report has shown us that young people are not getting the support they need, and what they need is a mental health system that is tailored to them. The Andrews Labor government is committed to implementing every single one of the royal commission’s recommendations. That means that we will give young people with lived experience of mental ill health the power to lead, inform and evaluate programs and services. That means that we will establish a dedicated service stream for young people to provide accessible, appropriate and ongoing support. That means we will ensure that an improved mental health system meets the diverse and intersecting needs of young people from all backgrounds and locations. Change is well overdue, and I think that is something that we can all agree on. The Andrews Labor government is committed to fixing what we all know is broken.