The ACT government has rejected the need for a specific men's health plan during a heated debate in the Legislative Assembly.
The territory's opposition was accused during the debate of bringing the motion to appeal to its conservative base while the government was accused of letting down every man in Canberra.
Opposition health spokeswoman Leanne Castley used the motion on Wednesday to call on the government to develop a 10-year plan for men's health in the territory.
But ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said a specific health plan was not needed and there was not an equivalent plan for women.
There is a 10-year women's plan in the ACT but this is not specifically a health plan.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the territory was doing well when it came to men's health and pointed to recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics which showed the ACT led the country for life expectancy for men.
She said many of the ACT's existing health plans already addressed men's health needs.
Ms Castley's motion said a 2019 report card into men's health in the ACT found four out of five Canberrans under 65 who died from heart disease were men, 57 per cent of Canberrans who died from cancer were men and three-quarters of suicides were men.
It also said two-in-three premature bowel cancer deaths were men, four-in-five premature heart deaths were men and two-in-three lung cancer deaths were men.
The motion also called for the government to recognise international men's day on November 19.
International Men's Day was founded by researcher Jerome Teelucksingh in Trinidad and Tobago in 1999. He chose the date November 19 to honour his father's birthday.
Unlike International Women's Day, it is not marked by the United Nations. The UN marks the day to focus on women's rights and to advance gender equality.
Ms Stephen-Smith suggested the motion was brought forward to appeal to the conservative base of the Canberra Liberals.
"Of course we could be uncharitable and suggest this might be some red meat for the conservative base of the Canberra Liberal party," she said.
"We know it would not be a winning strategy for the Liberals to go down this path because Canberrans have repeatedly rejected the same old conservative Canberra Liberals who talk to each other rather than talking to the community."
Ms Castley said the government's decision to reject her motion was disgraceful and said it was not about political point-scoring.
"The government has let down every man in the ACT today, every man that's battling with mental health issues, with drug and alcohol problems with lung cancer, prostate cancer," she said.
"This is not about political point scoring but it seems that today she has made a point at the expense of men. It's a disgrace that the government, the Labor-Greens government are voting against men today."
Ms Castley referred in her speech to the controversial 2016 film The Red Pill which explores the men's rights movement. Viewings of the film were cancelled at some universities and cinemas and were the subject of protests.
The film's director, Cassie Jaye, gave a TED talk in 2017 talking about her experience making the film, which Ms Castley cited in the Assembly.
"During the TED talk she said men's rights activists don't have all the answers but if one group is silenced then that's a problem for all of us," Ms Castley said.
"This motion today isn't about having a men versus women debate. I simply want to expand on what Cassie Jaye has said and add that if we have a women's health plan, a gender diverse health plan ... but we don't have a men's health plan. One group is left behind."
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
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