John Dawkins (South Australian politician)

Australian politician
the federal Labor politician

John Samuel Letts Dawkins (born 3 July 1954) is a South Australian Politician. He was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council, representing the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia from 1997 until 2020, when he was expelled for accepting the opposition's nomination as President of the Legislative Council. He served as an independent MLC, and as president, until March 2022, when he retired.

John Dawkins was born in Gawler South Australia, a small town 40 km north of South Australia’s capital Adelaide. His family owned a sheep breeding station on Gawler river and Dawkins spent much of his childhood life assisting his father. Dawkins was the son of the Hon. Maynard Boyd Dawkins MBE (1917–96) a sheep breeder, former member of Local Government and Member of the South Australian Legislative Council for the Liberal Party from 1962 to 1982. He is from a family of politicians and his cousin John Dawkins was also a Politician (ALP) and the Federal Treasurer of Australia (1991 1993).

Suicide is the leading cause of death for South Australians between the age of 15 and 44. Within the indigenous community this rate is more than doubled. In 2019 the ABS released statistics that showed a reduction in the suicide rate for South Australia, down from 12.8% to 12% in one year (2017 2018). This statistic marks a 6.8 percent decrease and places South Australia below the national average. John Dawkins was announced as the Premier’s Advocate for Suicide Prevention in 2018. He is also a key member of the Premier’s Council on Suicide Prevention, a body that consists of thirteen advocates that meet and discuss how South Australia can minimise the impact of suicide. This plan aims to place an SPN in every local government in four years, with particular emphasis in areas with Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander communities. The most notable initiative discussed in this plan is the South Australian Suicide Registry. This will become a source of trend identification to help intervention. It will involve communication between the South Australian police and the State Coroners office. This aims to help identify at risk groups and communities so that prevention networks can be put in place. 2. National communications charter

One of Dawkins achievements is the signing of the national communications charter. Launched in 2018 this charter is a set of guiding principles that assists how professionals talk about and react to issues relating to mental health. There are currently more than 600 signatures to this, including 153 organisations and more than 28 government agencies. One of these NGO agencies is Everymind. Their Acting program manager states that the charter is a “ demonstration of clear bi partisan support that also reflects a recognition of why a unified approach to mental health and suicide prevention is so important. She emphasises that this charter is best used as a 'best practice' guide that supports safe language. This charter has eight primary principles:1. Make mental health wellbeing and suicide prevention a priority

2. Share nationally consistent information

3. Use the charter as a guide for strategic communications, advocacy and awareness

4. Respect the diversity of experience of those who suffer mental ill health

5. Use appropriate respectful and person centred language

6. Work together to maximise efforts and resources

7. Acknowledge those with lived experience of mental ill health

8. Promote crisis services and help seeking information Measures in the bill include:

1. Establishing a suicide prevention council charged with introducing a state suicide prevention plan

2. Requiring certain agencies to have their own suicide prevention plans for employees and consumers

3. Establishing a suicide register