Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

It is sad to report but, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report Cancer in Australia: in brief 2012, people living in remote and very remote areas of Australia had higher mortality rates of cervical cancer, cancer in multiple sites, breast cancer in females and lung cancer than those living in major cities. These results are not good enough and are another example of previous Labor government neglect of rural and regional health and strategic planning to close the rural and metropolitan divide.

The Medical Research Future Fund will help realise the huge opportunities for research to boost illness prevention and to promote early intervention and is strongly supported by communities. Investment in medical research will bring us closer to finding a cure for cancer. It may be that an Australian finds the cure. With more investment in medical research, we will see medical technological development that will lead to better health outcomes for not only rural Australians but all Australians.