Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister update the House on the government's plans to invest in the oral health needs of children and low-income adults? How do these policies compare with other plans for oral health?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Hindmarsh for his question. Since before he was a member of this parliament, he was campaigning for better oral health in the community he represents. I recently announced a $4.1-billion package to improve the dental health of Australians with $2.7 billion for 3.4 million children including 12,000 in the member for Hindmarsh's electorate to make it as easy for them to go and see a dentist as it now is to see a GP. There will be $1.3 billion to provide 1.4 million extra services for adults on low incomes in the public dental system and $225 million for dental capital and workforce measures. This comes on top of a half-a-billion-dollar announcement in the May budget.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the member for Sturt to resume his seat.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have had a number of people—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Health will resume her seat. Could the member for Sturt resume his seat. I did ask twice.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

You could not hear me over the noise you were making. You are blocking the camera and I think that is highly disorderly. The minister has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I announced that that $515.3 million would be available from January. That is how long I imagine it would take to negotiate with the states and territories their signature on the piece of paper that will say that they will not reduce their services—as Campbell Newman has already done in Queensland, cutting paediatric dental services. The member for New England has asked me, as have a number of Labor MPs and other Independents: could this money start to flow earlier? Today, I would like to say, yes, it can start to flow earlier. It can flow as soon as the states and territories sign on the dotted line saying that they will not reduce their services and that they will tell us who they are treating. There need be no gap between the closure of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme on 1 December and the half a billion dollars we committed in the May budget. All it requires is the states to come to the table and sign on the dotted line.

I think it is very important to note that this support for the boost to public dental services to treat the most disadvantaged people with the highest dental needs—

Mr Baldwin interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Paterson is warned.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The proposal that we are supporting is not a unique proposal. In fact, it is a proposal that has been around for a little while. In 2006 there was an excellent report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing chaired by the member for Fairfax and included the member for Wentworth, the member for Leichardt and the member for Bonner that recommended:

The Australian Government should supplement state and territory funding for public dental services so that reasonable access standards for appropriate services are maintained, particularly for disadvantaged groups

It is an excellent report because it was chaired by a very sensible member. All I would like to see is those members opposite, instead of supporting the flawed, rorted Chronic Dental Disease Scheme, supporting their own report. (Time expired)