7NEWS The Issue Podcast: Meet the giants of parliament Dan Repacholi and Matt Smith as they raise awareness of men's health
But the cost of ignoring their wellbeing includes jobs, relationships, marriages and lives.
This issue can no longer be ignored in the halls of parliament in Canberra because the tallest men in Australian politics are taking a stand.
During the recent federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed $32 million in funding and announced Hunter MP Dan Repacholi would become the Special Envoy for Men's Health.
Repacholi, 43, loves his competitive pistol shooting, winning multiple Commonwealth Games Golds and competing at the Olympic Games.
The 203cm tall MP cuts an imposing figure in the nation's capital, but his record as the tallest man in parliament has been taken by 210cm Matt Smith, who is a former NBL player and the new member for the seat of Leichhardt in far north Queensland.
The pair have become overnight best mates and share much in common, including careers as elite athletes, down to earth personas, work in unions and are both the subject of much admiration from the prime minister after winning and holding key regional seats for Labor in the 2025 election.
But what's driving them now is the crisis men face in Australia.
Most men take a week to see their doctor when they are sick.
Rates of obesity are on the rise.
One in four Australia women have suffered domestic violence at the hands of a man.
Three thousand lives are lost each year to suicide, 75 per cent are men.
Young boys are falling into the trap of listening to dark, misogynist influencers like Andrew Tate.
The Issue, a podcast by 7NEWS, has sat down with the tall timber of Australian politics.
Repacholi and Smith were vulnerable during the 40-minute podcast shoot which took place on parliament house's basketball court, a place where they feel more at home compared to the chambers where they have to wear stuffy suits and make long winded speeches.
Repacholi is undergoing a major weight loss transformation after the stress and disappointment of missing the Paris Olympics saw him tip the scales at 150kg.
Matt Smith went into a dark place of serious depression after being cut from the Cairns Taipans NBL team.
Repacholi driven by his daughters
The highlight of Repacholi's sporting career was embracing his daughters after winning a gold medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.
The Special Envoy for Men's Health says his daughters Zoe and Ava are his driving force for taking up the role.
'I am here for them to be honest,' Repacholi said while appearing on The Issue podcast.
'All I want is for them to be treated as equals and then we are in a great place in this country.
'We can show the right pathway and be better, we just have to make sure we are all better.'
Repacholi runs his own podcast Dan and The Doctor, promoting men's health and trying to lead young guys away from negative influences.
'A big thing about this role is the right amount of masculinity and how to treat people with respect,' he says.
'It doesn't matter if it is male or female, we need to treat people with respect, that is unfortunately what a bloke like him (Andrew Tate) isn't doing.
'They have a platform now to go out on, groups like that, and I just hope there is common sense and people realise they are not the people who should be role models because they are utterly disgusting if you ask me.'
The Hunter MP says positive sites include the Man Cave, Top Blokes, Movember and the Healthy Male.
Not alone in his crusade
The prime minister has Repacholi and Smith sitting together in the House of Representatives, but it is more than just symbolism as the pair are uniting to help men.
Smith, Cairns resident and now the local MP, used his first speech to call on Australian men to take a stand against domestic violence.
'The far north has a real domestic violence issue, as we represent 10 per cent of call outs in Queensland which is horrific,' Smith told The Issue.
'Men need to help other men step away from that behaviour.
'For domestic violence to get sorted men need to play a massive role in this to get other blokes to stop it.'
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.
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