On the steps of Victoria's parliament, 121 empty chairs stood as a stark reminder of the Indigenous lives lost to suicide in the past five years. The Victorian Aboriginal Health Organisation (VACCHO) says these deaths occurred after the royal commission into mental health delivered its final report in March 2021. That report, which emphasized Aboriginal self-determination, social and emotional wellbeing, and the creation of two cultural healing centres, led the state government to accept all 65 final recommendations and nine from the interim report. Yet, five years on, the recommendations directly affecting First Nations people - who remain three times more likely to die by suicide - remain largely unimplemented.

Jill Gallagher, VACCHO's chief executive and a Gunditjmara woman, minced no words: "A lot of recommendations came out of that report and not many Aboriginal recommendations have been implemented. The government has done nothing. We have not established those very important healing centres, and it is crucial to try and address those numbers." She added, "These aren't just figures we're talking about, these are members of our families. Our families suffer, our communities suffer."

Gallagher noted that VACCHO has applied twice in five years for funding for the centres, estimated at $36.2 million over four years. Gunditjmara woman Nikki Foy, who lost her brother to suicide over 20 years ago, said mainstream services can't handle "complexities of the trauma that we carry." She called for "healing centres that are culturally appropriate for our mob. Culture heals." Foy warned, "Today, or tomorrow, some family out there will receive a phone call... and be told that their loved one has passed by suicide... enough is enough. We are the experts that know how to support and how to help our mob. Let us do that."

Reducing Indigenous suicide rates is one of the 17 Closing the Gap targets. Both Victorian mental health minister Ingrid Stitt and opposition spokesperson Emma Kealy addressed reporters, but neither committed to funding the centres. The Coalition has vowed to repeal Victoria's treaty laws and dismantle Gellung Warl, the First Nations representative body, within 100 days if it wins the November election. Asked if abolishing Gellung Warl would help reduce suicides, Kealy said the party's policy focuses on funding Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, adding that "while the journey may be different," they're committed to closing the gap. Stitt promised to advocate "strongly within cabinet and within the budget process" for the healing centres, and stressed, "Treaty is a huge part of this. Proud First Nations peoples in Victoria have the solutions, and we will work really hard to make sure that they have the power to be able to deliver those solutions."