Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute.

How remarkable it is that the government would suggest that axing an effective program that is delivering dental care through the non-government sector—and let us be clear that 80 per cent of all dental services are provided through the non-government dental sector—is a failure. This government has been very, very tricky here. It has taken funding away from state dental services—first implemented through that huge cut in the 2014 budget—and it then proposes to cut funding for the Medicare funded dental scheme and return some of the funding that should have gone to public dental services several years ago. This is very, very tricky. We need to recognise that, if we are going to achieve adequate dental care in this country, it must be delivered through a Medicare funded dental scheme. The Greens have a plan to do that.

Question agreed to.