维多利亚州自2022年实施的12亿澳元心理健康征税未能按照皇家委员会的初衷实现预期效果[1]。虽然心理健康支出在该期间从2020年的约20亿澳元增至2025-26年的30亿澳元[1]，但额外投资仅比政府按既往增速投资多出2亿澳元[1]，远低于该征税所筹资金规模。
心理健康倡导者对此提出了严厉批评。蒙纳士大学名誉教授David Copolov指出，"政府未能提供承诺的实质性整体资金增加"[1]。心理健康维多利亚首席执行官Philippa Thomas表示，这笔资金"绝对不符合皇家委员会的意图"[1]。反对党心理健康发言人Emma Kealy承诺，若其党派在11月选举中获胜，将进行"全面审计"来追踪征税资金的使用情况[1]。
Victoria's A$1.2 billion mental health levy, introduced in 2022 following a royal commission recommendation, has failed to deliver the substantial system improvements originally envisioned, according to critics who question how the funds have been allocated.[1]
While mental health spending has grown from approximately A$2 billion in 2020 to A$3 billion in the 2025-26 budget year, the increase represents only an additional A$200 million beyond what the government would have invested at its previous rate of expenditure.[1] This falls far short of the revenue generated by the levy itself, prompting mental health advocates to accuse the government of not fulfilling its commitments.[1]
David Copolov, an emeritus professor at Monash University, stated that "the government has failed to provide the substantial overall funding increase that was promised," while Philippa Thomas, chief executive of Mental Health Victoria, characterized the funding as "absolutely not what the royal commission intended."[1] In response, opposition mental health spokesperson Emma Kealy has pledged to conduct a "comprehensive audit" to track how the levy funds have been used if her party wins the November election.[1]