Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a statement on behalf of Senator Barry O'Sullivan.

Leave granted.

I seek the indulgence of the Senate chamber, because Senator O'Sullivan has not made his first speech yet. There is a standing practice—although I understand there are no technicalities that prohibit it—that a senator does not speak to any aspect of business before the chamber before making their first speech.

Senator O'Sullivan says that today we have accepted two positions with very similar wording, where some 22,000 Australians have expressed support for those amongst us who are suffering from the extremely rare condition of atypical haemolytic-uremic syndrome, known more commonly by the acronym aHUS. There is a further petition, with 27,000 signatures to be tabled in this place at the next sitting, with a similar intent to the one presented today.

Those 50,000 Australians are supporting a campaign to have the drug Soliris included in the Life Saving Drugs Program, so that sufferers can have access to a drug that has a proven impact on the prevention of death and organ failure. This is an aggressive, ultra-rare, life-threatening condition, and I want to place on the record that we are very happy to support the petitioners in their request on behalf of those afflicted with the condition. I thank senators for the Senate's indulgence.