Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Higgins, who comes to this place with a history as a distinguished paediatric physician, and, amongst other things, is aware of the importance of a stable and certain budget environment, because in 2011 she witnessed new medicines being deferred by the government of the day due to the fact that they had run out of money. As the budget of the day said, 'Due to fiscal circumstances, the government will defer the listing of some new medicines until fiscal circumstances permit.' That included medicines for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—the medicine Symbicort, for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

I am delighted to say that under this government, because of the strong economic conditions that the Prime Minister and the Treasurer and the government as a whole have helped to support and helped to generate, we are able to list new medicines. Yesterday, 1 December, was PBS listing day. Some of the new medicines which we have been able to list include Orkambi and Symdeko. These are medicines for beautiful young children with cystic fibrosis, and these medicines would otherwise have cost $250,000. I met little Xavier on the day on which we announced this launch, and his life has been transformed through early access. But there are numerous other children who will benefit as a result of this, whether it's in relation to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and access to Blincyto at $150,000; whether it's in relation to Keytruda and access to medicines for lung cancer, which would otherwise cost $120,000; or, as we announced only yesterday, access to Fasenra and Nucala for severe asthma—a medicine which would have cost approximately $20,000. And it is worth recalling that medicines for severe asthma were stopped, were blocked, were deferred because the budget ran out of money under Labor in 2011. By contrast, only yesterday, Fasenra and Nucala were listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Why does a strong economy matter? Because it allows us to give people the dignity of work. But why does it also matter? Because, ultimately, at the heart of the government is the ability to provide essential services so that what happened in 2011 never, ever happens again in Australia, as we saw only yesterday.

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