Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senators Bilyk and Polley, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month,

  (ii) the focus for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2018 is hope and taking action to change the dire statistics of ovarian cancer,

  (iii) ovarian cancer is still the deadliest women's cancer, and

  (iv) every day, in Australia, four women are diagnosed with and three women will die of the disease;

(b) acknowledges the efforts of Ovarian Cancer Australia in its tireless effort to beat the disease and reduce the number of women being diagnosed by 25 per cent by 2025; and

(c) urges federal, state, territory and local governments to:

  (i) take leadership in encouraging Australian women to become more aware of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of ovarian cancer, to know their family history and where to get help, and

  (ii) create communities where people openly talk about ovarian cancer.

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.

Scott Ryan (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 coalition government is committed to tackling ovarian cancer. Today the Minister for Health has announced $3 million to support a new, groundbreaking project that helps women identify whether they are at risk of developing ovarian cancer. This builds on the $33 million we have already provided for dedicated research related to ovarian cancer since 2013. The Minister for Women has been an ovarian cancer ambassador since 2012 and, along with senators and members from other parties, has held an awareness event in parliament every year since then, the most recent of which was last night. The government is pleased that all sides of politics have come together to spread awareness of this horrible disease.

Question agreed to.