MP’s maiden speech for mental health

WHILE some federal MPs used their maiden speech to make a political statement, Wide Bay’s Llew O’Brien shared stories about his past, his family and his journey to becoming the newly elected member.
In his speech to the House of Representatives on Wednesday 14 September, Mr O’Brien, who has succeeded former Nationals leader and long-time previous incumbent Warren Truss, said his road to politics was a humble one.
“My journey to this place has not been a high profile one, it has been of a regular man whole family is the most important thing in his life and who also loves his community,” he said.
Mr O’Brien left school at the age of 15 to care for his mother who had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of motor neurone disease and in his speech he spoke of how his mother taught him many lessons including courage, selflessness and honesty.
“While she was dying, my mum taught me the most valuable lessons on how to live and treat people. Those are the lessons that I bring to this place,” he said.
At the age of 17, Mr O’Brien met his wife, Sharon, and a love of helping people lead him to join the Queensland Police Service.
As a traffic accident investigator with the Queensland police, Mr O’Brien responded to some of the most serious accidents on the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra, then known as the deadliest stretch of the highway.
“It was a job where you would be hit by the confronting sights, sounds and smells of absolute tragedy and trauma,” he said.
“As time sped by you would furiously do what you could as a first responder … then I would be there with a tape measure out and a clipboard watching traffic flow past at 100.
“Those drivers going on with their lives had no idea about what had just occurred. Yet I did and it would happen again and again and again.”
The pressures of being a first responder eventually caught up with Mr O’Brien who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“Over a decade ago, in my policing career and as a traffic accident investigator, I went through a very intense phase that saw me struck down by depression and anxiety,” he said.
“This soon led to a diagnosis of PTSD. I was absolutely floored. But, my story of recovery is a successful one.
“With a supportive employer and my amazing wife, it took more than a year to get me back to the job I loved, which at times I thought I would never return to.”
Mr O’Brien said he shared his story because he wants to encourage the community to break down the stigma associated with mental illness.
“We can all benefit greatly by ending the stigma associated with mental illness so people feel comfortable about talking about their symptoms, getting the early help they need and commencing their recovery so they can live a fulfilling and happy life,” he said.
“I tell my story to reduce the stigma and hopefully make it easier for others in Wide Bay and the broader community.”