Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is over 40 years now since the last person in Australia contracted polio. Indeed, it is hoped that polio will be eradicated from the globe within the next decade. I would like to speak today about the late-onset effects of polio. The organisation Polio Australia, of which I am very privileged to be one of the parliamentary patrons. Right across Australia now there are thousands of Australians who are in their older years who may have had a slight trace of polio in their younger days who are having the effects of polio now in later in life.

Quite often polio is misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome or depression or some other disease. Quite often the misdiagnosis means that they miss out on treatment. So Polio Australia, which is largely a volunteer organisation, has been batting away for nearly a decade and today launched a magnificent book to help medical practitioners and sufferers of polio alike. Today I would bring like to bring to the House's attention that while polio is self this eradicated from Australia, people are still suffering the effects of polio and they will for many years to come. I believe that as a parliament we have a responsibility to help those people.

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