We now know that Shire Ali, the Somalian man who staged a terror attack on the Melbourne public and police on the weekend was known to intelligence agencies and police. We know that he held radical views and had links to Islamic State. We know that his passport was cancelled in 2015 yet he was not being actively monitored by ASIO. And we know that he had a problem with substance abuse, that his life had spun out of control in recent years - that before he carried out his attack, he was delusional, believing he was being chased by ‘unseen people with spears’.

Which begs the question; was he really a terrorist or was he just another victim of a failing, underfunded mental health system? A system that is completely lacking in any form of structure and is becoming more and more difficult to navigate for people with mental health issues.

<p>We now know that Shire Ali, the Somalian man who staged a terror attack on the Melbourne public and police on the weekend was known to intelligence agencies and police. We know that he held radical views and had links to Islamic State. We know that his passport was cancelled in 2015 yet he was not being actively monitored by ASIO. And we know that he had a problem with substance abuse, that his life had spun out of control in recent years - that before he carried out his attack, he was delusional, believing he was being chased by &lsquo;unseen people with spears&rsquo;.</p>
<p>Which begs the question; was he really a terrorist or was he just another victim of a failing, underfunded mental health system? A system that is completely lacking in any form of structure and is becoming more and more difficult to navigate for people with mental health issues.</p>

Catch up on Australia by Night with Stephen Cenatiempo!

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