Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Ageing and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak in support of this motion as I believe that greater research into epilepsy should be a priority for the federal government. I would like to commend the member for Shortland for bringing this motion into the House. As the motion states, at any given time there are 200,000 people living with epilepsy in Australia and up to three times that many will suffer from epilepsy at some stage in their lives. It is estimated that around 50 million people, or one in 120, have epilepsy at any given time around the world. It is the most common serious brain disorder and one that needs further research. Epilepsy is an illness which greatly affects the lives of those dealing with the disease and their friends and families.

Epilepsy sufferers usually rely on regular medication to help control their illness. Other treatments include controlled diets, alternative therapies and, in some cases, surgery. These treatments are not only costly but can have a big impact on the lifestyles of epilepsy sufferers. Other lifestyle issues associated with epilepsy can include the loss of a driver’s licence, the effect that the disease can have on relationships and the effect that it can have on finding and maintaining a job. Dealing with epilepsy can also be that much harder for those living in rural areas such as my electorate. In country areas, it becomes much harder to access medical services. The lack of public transport makes it a lot more difficult for those epilepsy sufferers who can no longer drive. Also, a lack of support groups in rural areas can make it very much harder to cope. As an MP representing a large rural electorate, I support this motion, as it addresses some of the major issues faced by epilepsy sufferers within my electorate of Parkes.

Epilepsy can be a very frightening disease and there are over 40 types of seizures. Some seizures can often hit without any warning. My first personal experience with epilepsy came as a schoolboy footballer. One of the players in my team had a seizure in the middle of a game. He was the biggest, strongest, toughest and meanest player we had, and the seizure rendered him completely defenceless. At that stage I realised how absolutely debilitating this disease could be. It also frightened me and, I suspect, my team mates as well, because we did not know what to do. We did not know how to help him. There was talk—‘Be careful that he doesn’t swallow his tongue,’ and other such things that I now believe may or may not happen. But it was a great shock and a wake-up call to us about how prevalent this disease was in society.

From my personal experience, I fully support the motion that the Australian government establish a nationwide educational strategy. People need to understand what epilepsy is and how to deal with the situation if someone you know has a seizure. An educational campaign would also go a long way in addressing some of the social stigma attached to the disease. In conclusion, I would like to put on record my support for this motion and I urge the Labor government to seriously consider the items that are being proposed.

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