Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Frankly, we have to think about that more often. Sucking it up can in fact mean that in the end you give it up. That is not what you want to do in the circumstances. I did not catch the interjection from the member for Cowper, so I will not respond in a way that might be inappropriate. I will say that he, with his electorate being on the beautiful north coast, understands the importance of this issue.

The motion also acknowledges the work of anti-cancer community organisations, the medical fraternity and the pharmaceutical industry in increasing the awareness of skin cancer and risk prevention strategies, promoting the importance of regular skin checks and facilitating affordable access to skin checks and early stage treatments. You need a holistic approach when it comes to dealing with issues like this. You need to be in a situation in which you keep people informed, you keep looking for new answers and you do not rest on your laurels.

I would like to mention one particular skin cancer awareness campaign that was kicked off in November last year in Skin Cancer Action Week. It targeted that group that I mentioned before that are largely stupid when it comes to the question of their own care. It is a campaign with John Newcombe and Tony Roche, two great Australian tennis players. The slogan is 'Newk and Rochey say "Watch your back!"'. In November 2012, tennis legends Newcombe and Roche joined Cancer Council Australia and the Australasian College of Dermatologists to urge all men aged 45 and over to watch their backs as part of Skin Cancer Action Week. Watching your backs in this case relates to the question of skin cancer, not what we would normally be involved in in this place!

What I can say is that men in this age group are at more than double the risk of dying of melanoma than women of the same age. Although melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, around one in three cases in men occur on the back. Men aged 45 and over are likely to have spent a lot of time in the sun in their younger years before we had skin cancer awareness campaigns. 'Slip, slop, slap' started when I was in my twenties and by then I had spent a lot of time out in the sun. Being aware and checking what is going on with your own skin, with your own body and with your own life is a really important thing for men and women to do. We have a responsibility to look after ourselves. These problems will grow in the future. We have a responsibility to ensure that we look after our mates and those around us. If we work together on these issues, we can make a positive impact.

Some of the improvements in community attitudes that I mentioned earlier are an important part of a change that is occurring within Australian society. But if we are going to get to where the member for Dunkley mentioned—being world leaders in some of these areas—we need to keep working at it. This is a motion that is important, because it is important to raise awareness in the Australian community. It is an issue that confronts all of us all of the time. I commend the motion to the House.

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