Alice Jordan-Baird (Gorton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I couldn't be prouder to be standing here today, as one of the women who form 56 per cent of our Labor government, addressing Women's Health Week. For too long, women's health issues have not been adequately addressed, but on this side of the chamber we know that women matter, and we're investing in landmark commitments to women's health.

Before the Albanese Labor government came into government, there had not been a new contraceptive pill listed on the PBS in 30 years, there had not been a new endometriosis medicine listed on the PBS for 30 years and there had not been a new menopause hormone treatment listed on the PBS for 20 years. Without women in this place to advocate for our own needs, women's health had fallen by the wayside.

This government is taking a new approach to women's health, putting our health at the top of the agenda and ensuring that discussions about women's health are welcomed. This government is working hard to reverse decades of neglect to women's health. Since 1 May this year, 365,000 patients have benefited from more than 715,000 new medicines that we have been able to list on the PBS. We're delivering cheaper medicines, which will make an impact on their ability to stay in the workplace and save money in their household budgets. We're seeing more women access longer appointments with their doctors, because we know that you can't deal with the issues that surround perimenopause and menopause in a brief appointment. We've invested $573.3 million to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women.

This government is introducing the first new contraceptive pills added to the PBS in 30 years: Yaz, Yasmin, and Slinda. That's because this government understands that for women contraception is a necessity, not a luxury. Access to contraceptive pills is not only incredibly important for women's sexual health and autonomy; it can also represent a lifeline for many women struggling with debilitating period pain. We understand this. We understand how important contraceptive pills are to women's health and women's lives, and we are ensuring that the pill is more affordable and more accessible for women in this country.

More than this, we are also ensuring that there's better access to IUDs and birth control implants for women in this country. We recognise that not every contraceptive method is ideal for every woman, and we want to ensure that women can access the long-acting contraceptive methods they need.

Further than this, this government is also introducing the first new menopause treatments on the PBS in 20 years: Estrogel, Estrogel Pro and Prometrium. We've heard many women in this place today speak about how little women going through menopause are heard and considered in our society and how important it is that there is real discussion and action to address women's needs during menopause. We're leading by example here, inviting discussion about menopause in this place and taking real action to ensure that necessary treatments for women going through menopause are affordable and accessible.

This morning I had the honour of meeting the incredible Robyn Smith. She recently joined tens of thousands of runners for the City2Surf run a few weeks ago. Not only did she complete the 15-kilometre course; she ran bare chested to raise awareness, proudly showing off the scars from her double mastectomy. Robyn decided to have the procedure when she found out that she had inherited the BRCA2 gene mutation which significantly increases the lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. After removing her ovaries and fallopian tubes to manage her high inherited cancer risks, Robyn went into immediate menopause.

Robyn is one of the people directly benefiting from the government's decision to list some of the menopausal hormone therapies on the PBS. She has access to both Prometrium and Estrogel, two medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. These important medications help people to manage menopausal symptoms. They also benefit women's long-term bone health and help manage CVD risk. Robyn is now not having to pay $500 or $600 to access these treatments; she's only having to pay $30 every couple of months, which is much more accessible for people like Robyn to help manage their menopause. This is a really proactive step to make women's health more accessible for all Australians.

I've talked to a number of young women in my electorate who live with the pain and suffering of conditions like endometriosis every single day. All of this comes alongside the opening of 22 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, with 11 to be opening soon. Women with endometriosis and pelvic pain have suffered in silence for too long without safe places to seek support and treatment. Clinics like these improve access for women to diagnostic, treatment and referral services for endometriosis and pelvic pain. They also build the primary care workforce to manage these conditions and improve access to new information and care pathways. For women suffering from endometriosis and pelvic pain, this kind of care can be life changing. This government understands how important access to this kind of care is to women, and that's why we've invested to open new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics for women.

Mental health is another significant side of women's health. We often put it to one side as we focus on the others around us. That's why we're also opening a number of mental health urgent care clinics, where you can walk in and immediately receive the mental care you need. This will make such a difference to the lives of women across our country. We also understand that girls and women facing mental health challenges still see very real discrimination and obstacles in society.

This all comes alongside this week's announcement that the Albanese Labor government is strengthening its world-leading online safety laws to protect Australians from the harms of predatory technology. Nudification and deep fake apps are abhorrent technologies that are designed to turn photos of someone into sexually explicit content without their consent. It's absolutely disgusting. As a young woman, I find this really scary. In Australia, too many women experience sexual violence. It's a huge issue, and it's a women's health issue. That's why the Albanese government will work to restrict access to nudification and undetectable stalking tools, engaging closely with industry on how best to achieve this. These are proactive steps to addressing current gaps in the law when it comes to preventing abuse facilitated by evolving technologies. These technologies have a huge impact on the mental health of women.

Thanks to these initiatives, Australian women and their families will save thousands of dollars on health related costs across their lifetimes. Women will be safer as we legislate around the dangers of evolving technologies, and women will have access to more and better care closer to home. This is what happens when we elect women; women's issues become the forefront of the government's agenda. I couldn't be prouder to be part of a Labor government made up of 56 per cent women, because, when we elect women, we legislate on women's issues.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 12 : 29

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