Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

STEELE-JOHN () (): The Greens are broadly supportive of this bill; however, I flag here that we will be moving a number of amendments as circulated to the Senate.

The Greens particularly welcome that the Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2022 Measures No. 1) Bill 2022 has come from recommendations as a result of many people across the country sharing their really horrific experiences with the Senate community affairs inquiry into transvaginal mesh implants and related matters. Before I get to the end of my allocated time tonight and get cut off, I want to acknowledge the energy that it takes to share your lived experience with a Senate committee. And I want to thank the committee—including the then chair, former Greens Senator Rachel Siewert—for their work in developing the recommendations that have led us to this point.

The impact of transvaginal mesh for women was devastating—absolutely devastating. As quoted in the inquiry's final report:

[W]e believe this is a catastrophic failure of the health system to protect women and ensure they have access to safe health care. We feel that women have been let down by their doctors, by the manufacturers of mesh and by the TGA as the regulator.

Those are the keywords I want to keep in people's minds—a 'catastrophic failure of the health system to protect women' and 'we feel that women have been let down by their doctors, by the manufacturers and by the TGA'.

Now, the decision that will come before this Senate tomorrow will be whether we answer those calls with action—actually implementing the recommendations of the inquiry. So many gave their time and energy to generate those recommendations for a full mandatory reporting framework, not the half-baked half measure the government is putting forward this evening in the form of its definition of what healthcare facilities should or should not have to report. Let me state this clearly: the report really did not mince its words. All medical practitioners, as defined in the act, 'should report'. They should report to keep people safe. The Greens will be putting forward an amendment tomorrow to give effect to that recommendation.

Debate adjourned.