History
In 2004, MIFA approached Parliament with a clear vision: to establish the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health. At the time, it was a new and important idea — creating a dedicated space where mental health could be discussed openly, thoughtfully, and with real input from the people most affected.
From the beginning, the group was designed to bring together voices that are too often kept separate. It gave Parliamentarians the chance to hear directly from people with lived experience, alongside researchers and practitioners working on the front lines of mental health care, advocacy, and reform. The goal was simple but significant: to build understanding, strengthen relationships, and help shape better, more informed policy.
The response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. What began as a single initiative quickly became a valued forum for connection and conversation — a place where stories, evidence, and lived experience could sit side by side. Over time, the Parliamentary Friends of Mental Health grew into a lasting advocacy platform, helping to keep mental health firmly on the national agenda and supporting progress toward a more informed, compassionate, and rights-based approach for Australians.
More than two decades on, the group remains a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together with a shared commitment to listening, learning, and creating change.
