Mental health has taken centre stage of the election campaign today, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard promising $277 million for initiatives to prevent suicide.
Speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia meeting in Brisbane, Ms Gillard said more than 2000 Australians took their lives every year.
''This is a national tragedy affecting individuals, families and those communities in which someone has taken their own life,'' she said.
The money will be invested in front-line services, such as psychological counselling, specialist psychiatry and access to support for the severely mentally ill.
Direct suicide prevention will be boosted by improvements to access to Lifeline and improving safety at suicide hotspots, such as the Gap in Sydney.
Ms Gillard said the policy would also give priority to men, because more men were prone to suicide and fewer men sought help. Good mental health would also be promoted among young people.
Lifeline is on 13 11 14.
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