Elizabeth Watson-Brown (Ryan, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) too many people in Australia are not able to access essential dental healthcare, and are living with preventable diseases and oral conditions;

(b) additionally, Australia is experiencing a mental health crisis, and the ten psychology sessions available under the Better Access Scheme are not enough; and

(c) dental and mental healthcare is essential and should be accessible free of charge to everyone; and

(2) calls on the Government to tax the big corporations and billionaires so that we can make dental and mental healthcare free under Medicare.

This motion calls on the government to tax the big corporations and millionaires so that we can make dental and mental health care free under Medicare. As the cost-of-living crisis bites, more and more Australians simply cannot afford a large dental bill or access to mental health services. You shouldn't have to choose between paying the rent and seeing the dentist or a therapist. Forty per cent of Australians are avoiding the dentist due to cost, and thousands of children are being hospitalised each year for preventable oral problems.

Meanwhile, people are rationing therapy sessions to spread out the 10 subsidised sessions—cut down from 20 per year by the Labor government—over the year. A quarter of people who need mental health support are delaying or just not seeing a psychologist due to cost. That's hundreds of thousands of Australians suffering for no other reason than our heartless government.

The old parties tell you that putting mental health and dental cover into Medicare is too expensive.

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