Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

How many times have we seen those opposite defend this and talk about it in the context of the fact that it was the Leader of the Opposition's scheme when he was the health minister. By their own words I this chamber they are actually admitting what I said.

This scheme will have a big impact. Apart from the fact that we are introducing a scheme that will help 3.4 million Australian children, and provide 1.4 million additional services, we will see another $225 million allocated for dental services—in capital and workforce—not just in the capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane but out in regional, rural and remote area.

In my area, the West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local area, about 20 per cent of the population is under 14 years of age. As I said last night, Vicki Poxon, the CEO of the West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local, supported what we say, supported this reform. She described it as being of 'the utmost importance to us', as 'ensuring our rural areas are given much-needed assistance in the more isolated locations, so we welcome this announcement as a step forward for those residents.

But it is not just Vicki Poxon who have backed what we are doing. Carol Bennett, of the Consumer Health Forum of Australia, in a press release dated 19 August, said:

Cost is the big barrier preventing a large section of the community from accessing preventative dental services, which in turn contributes to development of chronic conditions that place major demands on our health resources …

The statement went on to quote Ms Bennett further:

"By driving change through prevention in younger generations, there is increased likelihood that a whole generation will not need emergency treatment or hospital admission for chronic and preventable disease.

“By addressing the dental needs of seniors and pensioners before they develop other chronic conditions, it frees health resources for other areas of high need.

“This is a big win for the whole community. If you improve the health of those who can’t afford a decent standard of dental care, you raise the general health of the entire community.

She is absolutely right. And we saw Dr Cassandra Goldie, from ACOSS, in a press release on 29 August, saying similar things, welcoming 'the commitment to meet the oral health needs of adults experiencing poverty and inequality who have gone without dental care for too long'. She further makes the point:

By ensuring affordable appropriate and timely dental care for people on the aged or disability pension and all those with a health care card, this reform establishes the policies and funding mechanisms to reduce a major area of health inequality in Australia …

People like Dr Goldie and Carol Bennett would certainly know, from their work in these areas.

I think this package strikes a very important balance between improved health services for those on low incomes and it will make a big impact in terms of prevention. We have seen the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare give some pretty damning assessments of where we are in terms of the oral health needs of children. I did make this point when I spoke on the bill last night. The oral health of children has declined since the 1990s. Almost 20,000 kids under the age of 10 are hospitalised each year due to avoidable dental issues and, by age 15, six out of 10 kids have tooth decay. Over 45 per cent of 12-year-olds have decay in their permanent teeth. In 2007, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's child dental health survey discovered that just under half of children aged six years attending school dental services had a history of decay in their baby teeth. So there is much need for reform in this area, and we are seeing funding rolled out accordingly.

I made the point that the waiting-list budget money that we are getting across will make a big difference in terms of the waiting list in Queensland. We will see $67.3 million received by Queensland for public dental clinics from the budget and additional funding for public clinics for low-income adults of the sum of $249.4 million in Queensland under this new package.

These are important reforms. We should pursue them. The disallowance motion should be opposed and the feigned outrage from those opposite should be shown for what it is: simply another scare campaign from those who can say nothing positive about public policy in this country.

See this speech in context