The Australian Greens have urged state and territory governments to think twice before signing up to reinstate the schools chaplaincy program, says Australian Greens spokesperson for schools Senator Penny Wright.

Senator Wright confirmed the Australian Greens opposed plans to put religious chaplains in Australian schools.

"The Australian Greens have consistently said that the time for amateurs is over and funding must be redirected to putting professional mental health workers in schools," Senator Wright said.

The Senate has called on the Government to fund targeted suicide prevention measures in rural and regional areas, backing a motion by Australian Greens spokesperson on mental health Senator Penny Wright.

However, the National Party voted against the motion - despite making an identical election promise last year.

Senator Wright said enthusiasm about the cross-party support for action on rural suicide, including a national awareness campaign, was tempered by the Nationals' surprising policy reversal.

I move that the Senate

1.      notes that a disproportionately high number of completed suicides and suicide attempts involve men in rural areas; and

2.      calls on the government to implement the key recommendations of The Hidden Toll: Suicide in Australia report of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee during the term of the 44^th Parliament of Australia, including:

a)      funding a national suicide prevention and awareness campaign, to run for at least five years; and

I table the document Budget 2014 Policy Briefing Papers from ConNetica, and I move that the Senate-

(a) notes the findings of the Connetica Budget 2014 Policy Briefing Papers which outline:

(i) the disproportionate burden the 2014 15 budget cuts will place on young people,

(ii) the potential for an increase in suicides and mental ill-health among young Australians as a result of harsh budget measures, including changes to Newstart, increases to university fees, cutting the Tools for your Trade program, and ending support programs like Youth Connections, and

Senator WRIGHT (South Australia) (22:09):  On 13 May this year, the coalition government handed down a budget that was really quite unprecedented. I have seen quite a few budgets come and go in my life span, but I am hard pressed to think of a budget that has attracted such universal condemnation from people right across the political spectrum in terms of its unfathomable burden—the burden it places on some of the most disadvantaged people in the community.

I move that the Senate

1.       notes

a.       the findings of the Youth Mental Health Report by Mission Australia and the Black Dog Institute, which states 60 per cent of young people with a mental illness are not comfortable seeking information, advice or support from community agencies, online counselling or telephone hotlines

b.      the judgement of the High Court in Williams and The Commonwealth (no. 2), which found the Commonwealth's National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program to be unconstitutional

We move that the Senate :

1.       notes that:

a.       at any point in time, about 1.8% of the general population experiences Borderline Personality Disorder;

b.      the disorder can be characterised by overwhelming emotions, problems with relationships, impulsive and risk-taking behaviour and a fragile sense of self; and

c.       a history of trauma, abuse or deprivation is common among those with the disorder; and

The Australian Greens have challenged Prime Minister Tony Abbott to replace the invalidated chaplains program with professional mental health workers in schools.

Following the High Court's decision today, Australian Greens spokesperson for schools and mental health, Senator Penny Wright, said power to fund the chaplains program now sat with the Parliament.

"At a time when the government is ripping $30 billion out of schools - $250 million for chaplains was always a bad idea," Senator Wright said.