Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

The National Advisory Council on Dental Health report, delivered to the government in February 2012, said that there were 400,000 people in Australia waiting to access public dental services. These people were not able to get care under the Howard government's flawed Chronic Disease Dental Scheme. That is why the government has invested $344 million in last year's budget for a public dental waiting lists blitz—so that these 400,000 people can get the care they need. This investment is already flowing through and reducing public dental waiting lists. In addition, in the 2012 budget the government committed funding to strengthen Australia's dental workforce. There will be an increase in the number of placements available on the Voluntary Dental Graduate Year Program, and there will also be an increase in the number of placements for oral health therapists in a similar scheme. There will be incentives provided to encourage and support dentists— (Time expired)