Labor MP calls for a Minister for Men in Government
Federal Labor MP Dan Repacholi has voiced his support for the creation of a Minister for Men role in Government ahead of the federal election on May 3, calling it a “no-brainer”.
Repacholi, the sitting member for the New South Wales seat of Hunter, said that while some might perceive his stance as anti-woman, the aim is to acknowledge and address men’s specific issues - particularly around health and mental health - without conflating them with women’s issues.
“The stats don’t lie,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “Too many men aren’t getting the help they need. Two out of three blokes skip out on seeing a doctor because of outdated ideas about what being a man means. That’s gotta change.”
“This isn’t just about health, it’s about saving lives. It’s about telling every Aussie bloke: it’s OK to ask for help. Let’s break the stigma. Let’s look after our mates.”
Repacholi’s comments follow the $32 million men’s health funding lift recently announced by Health Minister Mark Butler, and highlight growing calls for tailored government responses to men’s wellbeing.
In an interview with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald’s Matthew Knott, Repacholi reflected on how men in his life and electorate often struggle to talk about health, emotions, or finances, reinforcing the need for dedicated representation.
The reporter asked him if he thought a Minister for Men should be created, similar to the Minister for Women – which is currently occupied by the Hon Katy Gallagher.
“He said, ‘I think that would be great,” Knott told podcast host Samantha Selinger-Morris. “He did pause for a second to wonder whether to go on the record about it, which gets to the taboo around this idea that to be advocating for men, does that make you a sexist or does that make you a misogynist? Is it problematic in some way to say that men have particular issues that need addressing?”
Mr Repacholi, a former tradesperson and coalminer, and five-time Olympian in sports shooting, said men need to speak openly about their health.
The idea for a Ministry for Men has been proposed in the UK by conservative MP Nick Fletcher (2023) but since rejected by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who told BBC Radio 5 Live this was not “the answer” to the problems affecting young boys today.
Discussion on the topic intensified following the release of the Netflix documentary Adolescence, which Australian PM Anthony Albanese urged everyone to see. “It’s scary. It’s scary. This is something we need to have conversations about,” he said.
Aussie Petition
A petition to the Australian Parliament in 2024 calling for a Minister of Men was signed by 1161 people. In responding to the petition, the Hon Patrick Gorman MP focused on the reasons a Minister for Women existed in various forms going back to the first Hawke Government in 1983.
“The Government recognises that women face significant social and economic challenges, and continue to be disproportionately impacted by family, domestic and sexual violence,” he began.
He cited many of the ways women were disadvantaged that required “concerted and whole-of-government policy responses to successfully address, led by a dedicated Minister for Women.”
While the Government acknowledged that men and boys faced specific issues, particularly in relation to mental health and suicide, “these can be better addressed by targeted policies and programs, rather than a dedicated Minister for Men.”
Further Reading:
Response to the Petition for an Australian Minister for Men (2024)
Labor promises funding for Movember, Men’s Sheds and men’s health
Media Release: Labor's men's health election pledge
Men's health sector calls for better funding
Federal Budget confirms men's health not a priority
Is men's health research underfunded?