PRESS RELEASE
Contact: G. Lawrence DeMarco, LLM
Email: ldemarco@menandboys.net
Phone: +1-215-901-1930
Historic Wave of Support for Men and Boys in Australia
May 4, 2026 — Australia has emerged as the world leader on policy for men and boys, following six months of unprecedented bipartisan action across federal, state, and territory governments. (1)
On April 29, 2026, the federal Opposition announced Llew O’Brien MP as Shadow Special Envoy for Men and Boys, with Nationals Leader Senator Matthew Canavan delivering the announcement alongside ICMB Board Director David Maywald. (2)(3)
That appointment crowns a remarkable sequence over the past year: (1)
- May 2025 — Dan Repacholi MP appointed Australia’s first Special Envoy for Men’s Health.
- November 2025 — Parliamentary Friends of Healthy Masculinities established at federal Parliament House, with Labor, Liberal, and independent co-chairs, on International Men’s Day.
- December 2025 — Tim Richardson MP’s Victorian role expanded to include Men’s Health and Wellbeing.
- January 2026 — Matt Cross MP appointed NSW Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Health.
- March 2026 — South Australia’s first Parliamentary Friends of Men’s Wellbeing forum launched by Sarah Game MLC.
- April 2026 — Mark Parton MLA appointed inaugural Shadow Minister for Men and Men’s Health in the Australian Capital Territory.
- April 2026 — Bipartisan support confirmed for a national inquiry into the education of boys and young men, endorsed by both Minister Jason Clare MP and Shadow Minister Julian Leeser MP.
- April 2026 — Paul Edbrooke MP appointed Minister for Men and Boys in the Victorian Labor government — a world first.
NSW Liberal Leader Kellie Sloane has stated: “We have a generation of lost boys… we can’t let them fall through the cracks.” (4) South Australian MLC Sarah Game has noted that almost half of Australian men are lonely and that men account for six of every eight suicides nationally. (5)
“This is the most advancement of the issues for boys, young men, and older men that we’ve seen in the last generation,” said David Maywald, ICMB Board Director. “There are enormous opportunities to engage constructively with this awakening to achieve balance and healthier social outcomes.” (2)
ICMB calls on other governments to follow Australia’s lead: establish dedicated ministerial roles for men and boys, fund tailored healthcare and suicide prevention, conduct national inquiries into boys’ education, and support bipartisan parliamentary groups on men’s wellbeing. A full record of statements from Australian leaders is at https://www.menandboys.net/statements/ (5)
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization working to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys worldwide. The ICMB is a leader of the emerging global movement to address these disparities. https://www.menandboys.net/
Links
(1) https://celebratingmasculinity.substack.com/p/get-onboard-the-wave-of-support-for
(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFDv25hYrkc