Gladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I welcome the support from the other side, from the member for Macquarie. The Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2021 amends the Dental Benefits Act 2008 to remove the lower age eligibility restriction of two years so that all eligible children under 18 can access the Child Dental Benefits Scheme. This is an important step forward and one that is based on the recommendations of the report of the fourth review of the Dental Benefits Act 2008. The review, which included key stakeholders like the Australian Dental Association, state and territory dental health services, and Services Australia, found that it is important to establish a positive initial dental experience and to instil important oral hygiene practices at an early age to curb the negative stigma around dental practitioners and oral hygiene. This stigma is likely to be reinforced if the initial dental experience requires serious treatment. Good habits can last a lifetime. If parents promote the practice of good oral health hygiene with their children from a young age, this will help prevent more serious dental decay and other health issues as they grow up. I'm pleased to say that the change proposed in this bill will increase access to prevention and treatment services for younger children and help form these good oral hygiene habits in our kids.

It is estimated that the removal of lower age eligibility restrictions, as proposed in this bill, will expand the number of children eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule by around 300,000 per year. The budgeted cost is $5.4 million over four years. To me, this seems a fair price to pay to better fulfil the purpose of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule to ensure eligible Aussie kids will get access to basic dental care in a range of settings and locations. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule has been in operation since 2014 and, since that time, has provided over $2.3 billion in benefits and delivered more than $38 million in services to over three million Australian children. The scheme plays an important role in promoting the oral hygiene of children by providing access to basic dental services up to a capped amount of $1,013 in benefits over two calendar years. To expand this scheme in the proposed manner is a fiscally sensible but impactful change that will support the health of our kids.

Surely there have been many big-ticket health items unveiled by this government in the last few years, including record funding for hospitals, Medicare, mental health and aged care. Since 2013, the coalition government has also listed more than 2,600 medicines on the PBS, an average of one each day. This has put life-changing treatments within the reach of every Australian. All these are important, eye-catching policies and figures. But we have never lost sight of the sort of nuts and bolts, brass tacks reforms that are the stuff of good government. I don't think it will grab any headlines, but the Dental Benefits Amendment Bill 2021 is another example of our commitment to ensuring that Australia's health system works for all Australians.

I've got two children, so I know it can be pretty tough being a parent, but I hope that these changes will make it just a little bit easier, both in their hip pockets and by assisting to form good lifelong oral hygiene habits in their kids. I'm proud to be part of the Morrison government, which is working with public and private providers to improve the delivery of dental services to Australia's children. So I fully support this amendment bill.

Debate adjourned.

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