Suicide a big national problem that deserves logical discussion

ONE of the classic comedy skits is Monty Python’s Argument Clinic, where clients pay for jolly decent differences of opinion with a dollop of robust personal insults.

It’s not a cheap exercise, though there are places where you can get a jolly decent difference of opinion for the cost of a few drinks.

The ferocity is usual directly proportional to the amount of strong drink taken, while by contrast the logic is inversely proportional to the number of drinks over time.

Perhaps there is no better example of this debating form than a Diggers’ boozer on pay night, reaching a crescendo of noise and argument at 10 minutes before closing.

Anyone who has been tasked with closing such an establishment will attest to its iconic place in free expression.

Perhaps it was here Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie learned and honed her debating skills, a curious mix of supposition, conspiracy theories, anger, threats and the regular insertion of great Australian adjectives.

“She’s just saying what ordinary Australians are thinking,” goes one defence of her style.

“She’s the only one sticking up for us,” goes another.

It’s a style that no longer translates to the more disciplined environment of parliamentary debate.

Since abstemious behaviour became the norm in federal parliament, the rough and tumble of parliamentary proceedings fuelled by time spent in the infamous Members Bar have all but disappeared.

Passion and free flowing debate have been tempered in an institution that places great store on procedural protocols, though there are those who still hanker for past norms.

One such antiquarian is Senator Lambie whose combative contributions usually add little to substantive debate but resonate with her followers.

One issue particularly grabs their attention and emotions – veteran suicide. Senator Lambie and her supporters seem to believe the ADF and the veteran community have a monopoly on suicide.

The facts speak otherwise.

According to the Black Dog Institute, suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44 years.

The suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is approximately twice that of non-indigenous Australians. Logical discussion is called for to solve what is clearly a national problem.

Unfortunately Jacqui Lambie’s logic switch is permanently set at 10 minutes before closing.