Trevor Evans (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to lend a strong voice in support of those living with cystic fibrosis. Late last year I met with the team at Cystic Fibrosis Queensland to learn more about their vital work. All members should be interested to hear that, for the first time, here in Australia, there are more adults than children living with CF, due to our improving ability to manage the effects of this incurable disease. Many of them are in Queensland, I should add, because of the weather. Yet the current life expectancy is still only 38 years.

I hope members know about the rally here at Parliament House this week raising awareness of the needs of those living with CF. It is with pride that I report that this government has now expanded access to the life-saving drug Kalydeco by listing it on the PBS for those aged two to five. Thirty young children will now have the help they need to stave off the lung disease that ultimately determines their life expectancy. The CF community now wants the focus on drugs like Orkambi.

Achieving quality of life and longer life expectancies are paramount to the cystic fibrosis community, and I want to congratulate CFQ and new CEO Petrina Fraccaro on their work and advocacy. Keep it up, and I look forward to working with you into the future.