Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I withdraw that comment. The member for Fraser is supporting this, Mr Deputy Speaker, so that these two pensioners will no longer be able to get the type of dental care which they so desperately need. Kevin McMurrugh of Ferntree Gully, another constituent of mine, he also will suffer as a result of these cuts. He says:

I cannot believe the Government would have reached this decision suddenly or without due consideration.

We are going to have many thousands of people who will no longer be able to afford dental care, me included.

A Rowville man, who did not want to be named, said that the cuts to the scheme would be a devastating blow to him financially. He had already battled Paget's disease and bowel cancer and was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. He said he will be unable to afford the vital dental work he requires on an ongoing basis as a part of his recovery. He says: 'I am thoroughly disgusted with the way we are currently being treated by this government,' which I think is a very accurate summation.

I think that every member of the government should reflect on some of those people I have read out, who will be affected by the cuts to the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme—people like Mr and Mrs Rapisarda. They are pensioners, they have been ill and they have had heart attacks, and because of their medication they get gum problems or teeth problems. So the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme can help them out. They will no longer be able to afford to get the vitally needed dental work they require.

I also call on the Independents, who will have the casting vote in relation to whether or not this scheme survives. I ask them to consider people like Mr and Mrs Rapisarda, like Ms Filek and like Mr McMurrugh, from my electorate, who will no longer be able to afford the dental work they so desperately need.

I think that the real reason that the government are cutting this scheme and why they are not putting any money towards any new scheme is that they have so categorically blown the budget with so many wasted programs that they are now desperately cutting absolutely every possible thing they can find in order to try to get a budget surplus. There have been many lows for this government over the last five years, but the cutting of this scheme I think will go down as one of the lowest of them all.

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