Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion. Before I add my contribution in support of my friend and the parliamentary co-chair of the Friends of Asthma, the member for Shortland, can I—because this is the first opportunity I have had in a forum such as this—acknowledge your recent decision, Deputy Speaker Southcott. Very few people are given the privilege of serving in this place; even fewer get to decide when it is their time to leave. I think that is a measure of a member who has been successful in this place—not only in terms of your efforts across very many spheres, including being a strong advocate for South Australia and the electors of Boothby, but in being given the right, effectively, to choose your time of departure. I think that says a lot, so congratulations.

I support the member for Shortland's motion on asthma. She and I are co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Asthma. I join with her in congratulating Asthma Australia for their proactive and consistent advocacy for asthma awareness and laud them for their work in developing an understanding of asthma, its effects and its treatments. Asthma is a massively prevalent condition in Australia. It affects almost one in every 10 Australians. As the member for Shortland noted in her motion, 2.3 million Australians suffer from the condition of asthma, including yours truly. Whilst asthma is a condition which affects many and is often quite mild, it can also be a condition that can prove fatal. Astonishingly, asthma kills nearly 400 Australians per year—or eight per week. Asthma, like so many conditions, disproportionately affects the socially disadvantaged in our society, especially those who live below the poverty line—including, sadly, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Asthma awareness is critical in assisting those suffering from this condition and it does save lives. The reality is that there is a knowledge deficit in the management of asthma attacks in this country. It is my hope, through motions such as this and the work of Asthma Australia and the National Asthma Council Australia, that we can raise awareness. In raising awareness we will eliminate that deficit.

You heard from the member for Shortland that only around 21 per cent of Australians suffering from this disease have an action plan, and that is something that needs to improve. Four or five years ago, despite the fact that my condition was chronic, I was one of those people, but I can say to anyone listening to this contribution that my life has improved immeasurably as a result of my asthma plan and the fact that I now comply with it.

For example, with my asthma, which is my constant companion whether I am here in Canberra, home in my electorate or on the road generally, I am in tune with my condition. I know when I am beginning to feel unwell, and I follow the steps set out in my asthma plan. Instead of waiting for a GP consultation that might take a week or more, wherein my condition will deteriorate to the point where I become very unwell, I can begin actions towards addressing my own condition and then follow that up with a meeting with my general practitioner, which invariably goes along the lines of: 'This is the action I took. It was in line with my asthma plan, and I am on the road to recovery.'

Significantly, healthcare expenditure on asthma nationwide is some $600 million. It is a significant cost to the taxpayer and it behoves all policymakers in this place to gain a better understanding of asthma, the condition and how it affects approximately 10 per cent of our constituents. I was surprised to learn that about 50 per cent of the sufferers above the age of 50 have not been diagnosed. This, of course, dramatically increases the chances that an attack in that setting will prove fatal. I cannot stress enough the importance of diagnosis in mitigating the more serious effects of asthma. I often hear people cough and—Mr Deputy Speaker Southcott, and given your profession, one that you are about to return to, I am sure you are aware of this—I know it is an asthma cough. I often say to them: 'You need to speak to your doctor about that. It is clearly asthma.' And they will often just blow it off as a cold or a flu. It is not and they need to speak to their GP about it.

I am proud of the work of the Parliamentary Friends of Asthma in this place and of this motion. I encourage all members to come to a better understanding of this condition. Sure, it can present as a mild condition, but it can also be a fatal condition. As I said, it kills approximately eight Australians per week. I hope that I have raised awareness so that more and more people take the opportunity to get themselves an asthma plan.

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