Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Urquhart for her supplementary question. Labor's dental health reform package will be in addition to the $515.3 million that the Gillard government has already pledged in the 2012-13 budget. The budget funding will make a significant improvement to the dental system and it represents a significant down payment on the new national dental scheme.

The $515 million budget funding will be used to crack down on public dental waiting lists, where 400,000 people across the country are waiting to receive dental care. It will also provide additional dental training, the promotion of oral health care and improved dental facilities in rural and remote areas. Australia's dental workforce will also be strengthened by $36 million on increasing the number of placements available on the Voluntary Dental Graduate Year Program from 50 to 100 placements each year to 2015. (Time expired)