Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

This is an important bill which I'll say more about in a few moments, but with the indulgence of the House I'll first say that, as we speak, an event which has full bipartisan support is just finishing outside the chamber—that is, the Big Aussie Barbie in support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. I am the acting co-chair of the foundation, as Jason Clare, the member for Blaxland, is on sick leave. It has the full-throttle support of both sides of parliament.

This morning the member for Leichhardt and I had our PSA tests done jointly, in the same booth, to provide the level of bipartisan support necessary to lift the importance of testing and to remind men of the importance of prostate cancer testing, particularly for men over 50. The member for Leichhardt was kind enough to point out that I have a few years to go before I'm 50. Nevertheless, I've done the test. It's a good idea to have the test done even if you still have a four at the front of your age, as I do, but it's particularly important for men 50 and above to have the test.

The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Leichhardt and I have just addressed those at the barbecue and expressed full-throttle, bipartisan support for this important initiative, which has been driven by the member for Leichhardt and the member for Blaxland, together with others, for many years in this chamber. Pathology Australia has done a good job in providing the complimentary tests for honourable members and their staff today, which I believe are still available—

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

At the private dining rooms.

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