Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the report of the Select Committee into Funding for Research into Cancers with Low Survival Rates was tabled on 28 November 2017,

  (ii) the report made 25 recommendations to improve outcomes for people diagnosed with rare and low-survival cancers, and

  (iii) on 16 October 2018, Senator Bilyk successfully moved a motion, which I co-sponsored, asking the Government to table its overdue response to this important report – the government response has not been tabled;

(b) further notes that:

  (i) the report of the Community Affairs References Committee, Value and affordability of private health insurance and out-of-pocket medical costs, was presented on 19 December 2017,

  (ii) the report made 19 recommendations designed to ease the burden of rising medical costs on consumers, such as recommending that the Minister for Health instruct the Department of Health to publish the fees of individual medical practitioners in a searchable database, and

  (iii) the Government has yet to table a response to this report; and

(c) orders that there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health, by the start of business on 15 November 2018, the Government's responses to the recommendations contained in the reports on:

  (i) value and affordability of private health insurance and out-of-pocket medical costs, and

  (ii) funding for research into cancers with low survival rates.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) 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.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's now almost a year since the Senate select committee report on cancers with low survival rates was tabled. In September I wrote to the Minister for Health, Mr Hunt, to remind him that the government's response to the report is well overdue. I received the minister's response a month ago, which anticipated that the government's response would be finalised in the coming weeks. I'm disappointed that it is still not forthcoming, and I hope we will see it soon. Over 300 submissions were received by the committee, and 117 witnesses appeared at public hearings, many of whom bravely fought back tears to tell their personal stories. I'm still waiting to hear how the government intends to address a number of important recommendation of the report, including that low-survival-rate cancers be identified as one of the National Health and Medical Research Council's national health priorities and the development of an Australia-wide strategy to increase the survival rate of these cancers to 50 per cent by 2027, as well as various recommendations to improve patients' access to clinical trials. Patients with cancers with low survival rates are looking for hope. By failing to respond to this report, this government is denying them the hope they so desperately seek and deserve. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.