Jennie George (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With the record budget surplus, I had expected that this government would finally do the right thing by addressing the needs of 650,000 Australians now languishing on waiting lists for dental treatment. But again we were to be profoundly disappointed. This government shows a heartless disregard for people who have to wait for years and give up hope, either resorting to pulling out their own diseased teeth with pliers on some occasions or having their teeth fall out—as constituents in my electorate have reported—as a result of their diseased gums not being treated.

The local Illawarra Dental Health Action group have worked tirelessly to highlight these concerns in the hope the government would finally rectify this injustice and reinstate the national dental program. They organised a petition signed by 8,135 local constituents, copies of which they left with the minister in February this year and which I wish to present formally to the House today. This petition has been certified by the Deputy Clerk of the House. Now, to add insult to injury, we learn that the government has set aside $52.1 million for an advertising campaign to promote private health insurance. What a disgrace. The government has no problem in using taxpayer funds to promote private health insurance but cannot find a cent to invest in a national dental scheme.

Already through the private health rebate the government is spending around $430 million a year subsiding dental care for those fortunate enough to afford coverage, yet it turns its back on those most in need. As subsidies for dental care of privately insured Australians grow year after year, the aged and low-income earners whom I represent continue to wait for years to get treatment in a public system that is being deliberately run down. This is creating a huge divide between rich and poor in our society. Just consider one statistic that says it all: low-income earners without private dental health insurance are 25 times more likely than high-income earners with insurance to have all their teeth extracted. I think that says it all. The 7,586 people waiting for dental treatment in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven would have had their teeth and gums treated if just a fraction of the $52.1 million was directed to clearing the backlog not just in my area but across Australia. It is hard to find a more blatant example of the misuse of taxpayer funds.

The petition read as follows—

Petition to the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:

This petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House, the long dental waiting lists and under funding of our public dental system.

Your Petitioners therefore ask the House to:

• Re-introduce the Commonwealth Dental Scheme and restore funding to public dental health,
• Reduce waiting times for public dental health services, and
• Train more public dentists.

from 8,135 citizens