Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that precision medicine, enabled by advances in genomics, data analysis and artificial intelligence represents an exciting leap in healthcare that will improve the outcomes of preventative and targeted medicine for countless Australians and their families;

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) our world class healthcare system ensures Australia is well placed to lead the world in precision medicine innovations;

(b) Australian researchers, including those at the University of Queensland, are world leaders in their field and their work is at the forefront of precision medicine; and

(c) research in precision medicine stimulates the economy, leads to growth in highly skilled jobs and supports Australia's $185 billion healthcare industry;

(3) welcomes the Government's significant investment in precision medicine research including as part of the recently announced $440 million in National Health and Medical Research Council grants; and

(4) encourages the Government and private enterprise to continue to invest in the genomics, data analysis and artificial intelligence research required to grow the precision medicine sector in Australia in order to create jobs, keep Australia at the forefront of medical advances and improve the healthcare outcomes for everyday Australians.

It is a pleasure to move this motion today. It provides me with the opportunity to highlight the tremendous research originating in my electorate of Ryan in the field of precision medicine. Many people may not have yet considered just how integral and revolutionary precision medicine will be to our future health care, but I hope that this motion is an opportunity to reflect on it.

It is clear from talking to the local research practitioners in my electorate of Ryan that precision medicine holds enormous promise—promise for those suffering ill health, promise for those for whom the current treatments are less than effective and promise for people whom we can diagnose and treat early. While medicine and diagnosis are delivered in a personalised way, every person knows, for example, you visit a GP or a specialist and you get assessed based on your individual symptoms, but there's so much more in development to personalise the treatment to individual genetic make-up or disease. Through the utilisation of the human genome sequencing, big data and artificial intelligence, precision medicine allows health and disease to be viewed at an increasingly fine grain resolution, attuned to the complexity of the individual patient, enabling faster diagnosis and personalised treatment options. It's not just the complexities of the individual patient but, in fact, right down to the cellular level, to ensure the right medicine is provided or that the medicine is tailored to a specific patient's DNA.

Imagine a future where treatment options are chosen or designed to target the specific disease causing genetic mutations, identified by the gene sequencing or treatments that are selected according to the patient's genetic makeup or, for infections, the specific strain of virus or bacterium affecting a patient. This might sound like science fiction stuff, but the cutting-edge researchers in my electorate of Ryan are doing just that.

I spoke recently to researchers undertaking significant work at the University of Queensland. They are identifying a range of common diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes and cancer, and using genetic data, which is relatively cost effective to collect, to flag the risks of these diseases. For example, someone whose genetic information and markers tell us that they have a high risk of breast cancer could be encouraged to get mammograms before the age of 50. People whose genetic information shows they're at higher risk of cardiovascular disease could be identified, long before lifestyle factors trigger them, to see a GP. Someone whose genetic data shows that they have a fast metabolism may need a higher dose of drugs as part of their treatment. It's something that wouldn't require the trial and error that it does now.

It would be no surprise to members of this House and to others that Australian researchers and our world class healthcare systems are well placed to pioneer the fields of precision medicine. Already my electorate boasts local resident Ian Frazier—the inventor of the Gardasil vaccine, which is saving lives of women all over the world. But we have a lot of reasons to produce such world-leading breakthroughs. We have the right ingredients for success. We have an excellent healthcare system, regarded as one of the best in the world. We have a strong tradition in research and exemplary research talent that is connected internationally. We have an innovative business community that can realise the potential of precision medicine as an economic growth opportunity. That's why, as the motion points out, the Morrison government is well advanced in supporting and funding precision medicine that will be so important to the future good health of all Australians.

In August earlier this year, Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health, and I, announced further National Health and Medical Research Council investments in the area of precision medicine, including over $14 million for precision medicine over nine grants, $33 million for genomics research across 23 grants, $8.7 million for artificial intelligence research across seven grants, and $3.7 million for fellowships that will build bioinformatics capability, including $1.5 million for Dr Adam Ewing at the University of Queensland, in my electorate of Ryan. He is looking into and exploring the relationship between the changes in DNA and changes in health.

Australia has the opportunity to lead in precision medicine, in terms of integrating it into our everyday clinical practise, pioneering new methods to individualise treatment and providing data sharing, security and storage. Like any opportunity, it can be lost if we do not seize it with both hands. That is why I encourage all members to consider the future of precision medicine for the health and wellbeing of all Australians and encourage them to support this motion—in doing so, ensuring all sides of politics are properly seizing the opportunity. (Time expired)

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