Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government abolished the Commonwealth Dental Health Program in 1996. Since then, thousands of the most vulnerable Australians have been denied dental care and have been forced to suffer pain because of that retrograde step. Latest figures indicate that there are 625,000 Australians queued on waiting lists for basic dental care. Mr Larry Ciantar is a part pensioner in my electorate who is over 80 years old. Mr Ciantar has been forced to use private dentists. He informed my office that at a seniors meeting he attends every week, dental problems are a significant source of complaint. In 1994 the Labor government introduced the CDHP to provide coverage for adults covered by the various concession cards. The scheme provided both emergency and general dental services. The CDHP built on existing state and territory dental schemes. The then federal government worked cooperatively with those governments to provide a service to those in need.

There have been arguments that dental services are not the responsibility of a federal government. This is clearly not the case: section 51(xxiiiA) of the Constitution includes the provision of dental services, with pharmaceutical, hospital, sickness and medical benefits, as part of the powers of the Commonwealth government. Given the expansive interpretation of the Constitution taken by this government on industrial relations matters, you would think they could embrace the plain English view when it comes to dental treatment.

A Senate committee in 2003 estimated that 1.5 million services were provided under the CDHP during the period 1994 to 1996. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare evaluated the CDHP in 1997. The findings showed that, even in a short period of time, there was a slight decrease in emergency care because of preventative dental care. In addition, there was a decreased need for tooth extractions and fillings. Pain associated with dental problems decreased, and waiting times decreased.

I regularly hear from constituents about their dental problems. In 2004, Labor promised a $300 million dental program. This program would have cleaned up the waiting lists and moved us forward in assisting those in need of dental care. Two committee reports, the Senate Select Committee on Medicare in 2003 and the Senate Community Affairs References Committee in 1998, recommended a greater Commonwealth role in the provision of dental services, yet no action has been taken, as the government refuses to acknowledge its responsibility in this matter. The government constantly boasts of its budget surplus, $11.5 billion in December 2005. If $300 million can assist those in constant pain, why does this government not see its way clear to spending that money?