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

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) condemns the Government's:

  (i) harsh cut to dental services for children in lower income families, ripping away $300 per child from the Child Dental Benefits Schedule – the only Medicare-funded dental care program,

  (ii) enacting of this cut through regulation during the extended summer break so that it was in place without this chamber being able to scrutinise or disallow it for six weeks, and

  (iii) dramatic cut which was made at the same time as a further deep cut to Commonwealth funding to the states and territories for public dental services to under $100 million annually, which will drastically reduce dental services provided to approximately 400,000 Australians; and

(b) calls on the Government to end its attack on public dental services by:

  (i) restoring the full funding to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule so that Australian children in need have access to the dental health care they require,

  (ii) restoring appropriate funding to states and territories for delivery of public dental services, and

  (iii) expanding funding to Medicare-funded dental services so that more Australians can access this crucial care.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is committed to ensuring that children right across Australia have access to a dentist when they need it. Under the scheme, on average, only $312 of the rebate has been reclaimed per child each year. In light of this, the government had previously set the cap at $700 per child over a two-year period, which would still allow children to visit a dentist regularly. However, following consultation with the Australian Dental Association, the Minister for Health has decided to reinstate the cap at $1,000. We are also providing $11 million over two years to the Royal Flying Doctor Service to deliver dental outreach services to rural and remote communities. The government is delivering on its commitment to improve the dental health of all Australians though the Child Dental Benefits Schedule and contribute to better public dental services through a national partnership agreement with the states and territories.

Question agreed to.