Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. Before I start, I want to thank former Senator Griff for the work he did on cancer in the time he was here.

In Australia, brain cancer is one of the most common and deadliest diseases in children. Approximately 120 children are diagnosed each year with brain cancer and, for 45 per cent of those, their disease is fatal. My question for the government is this: What new initiatives has the government introduced to address paediatric brain cancers? Is there anything it has introduced that is new? Are you still funding the previous programs that were introduced by the previous government?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lambie for her advice that she would be asking a question on childhood cancer. I acknowledge that the Senate has a meeting with the Minister for Health next week to discuss a range of health issues. Many of us across the chamber went to the ovarian cancer breakfast this morning. Cancer is something that has touched probably everybody's lives in this place.

Some of the statistics around childhood cancer and children diagnosed with brain cancer are very confronting. As Senator Lambie said, an estimated 102 children aged up to 14 are diagnosed with brain cancer and 36 children are estimated to die from this disease. Cancers in children are often different from those observed in adults in appearance, site of origin and response to treatment. They are also often quite difficult to diagnose, which does require specialisation in paediatric cancer responses.

To just run through a couple of things under way, over the last 10 years, there has been $260 million for childhood cancer research through the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund and Cancer Australia. We have also allocated $452 million to build new comprehensive cancer centres in Queensland and South Australia. We're also implementing $100 million to establish the nation's first children's comprehensive cancer centre in Sydney. This initiative is being led by the Children's Cancer Institute with delivery partners and it will play an important role in Australia's health system. The network of comprehensive cancer centres going forward will combine research, cutting-edge treatment options, clinical trials and other multidisciplinary resources for children. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, a first supplementary?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How does federal funding for paediatric brain cancers compare with that under the previous government? And are you content to continue funding arrangements that were introduced by the previous government?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would probably take the detail of that on notice, only to say that $100 million to establish the nation's first comprehensive children's cancer centre in Sydney is new, I understand, but I will check the record on that. In terms of health and how we fund many of those services, obviously they're funded through the hospital agreement. That is coming up for renegotiation with the states and territories. There is no doubt there's a lot of need, not just in childhood cancer, for hospital services in general, and we will engage with the states and territories on that. We understand the health system is critically important. Funding the hospitals, getting that right, is critically important, as is trying to fix primary care, Medicare and aged care, because it is all interconnected. But probably the detail, I will come back to the senator with, if there is anything I need to update.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, a second supplementary?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Statistically, brain cancer kills more children than any other disease. I'm wondering, should this not be a higher priority than any other childhood health initiative this government is funding at this point in time?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, making sure that we are doing all the research we can and providing all treatment options possible for children suffering from cancer, including brain cancer, is, I think, something that every parent in this country would expect. It is funded through the hospital agreement, primarily. I think the research is critically important because, again, the nature of childhood cancer means you do need subspecialisation in it, so that research which feeds treatment options is part of that along with working internationally with other countries on their research, with clinical trials and with comprehensive cancer centres. We established one here in Canberra not for paediatrics but for people with cancer, and it does make a world of difference when you pool all those services into one centre rather than making people go around dealing with different treatments. So I think there is a lot underway. If there's anything more I can update the chamber about, I will do so on notice.