Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Absolutely. Tens of thousands of people around Australia were facing the prospect of either going blind or going broke. That was because, if the decision to remove it from private health had proceeded, it would have cost them anywhere between $600 and $800 a month for the eye injections. People simply can't afford that. They can afford their private insurance, which is nowhere near that. It was some 18 months ago that people in my electorate came to me and raised the issue. I raised it with the minister, we worked together and the minister deferred it for 12 months, which was very well received. And then, leading up to the end of last year—so six months ago—we recommenced negotiations with the minister. To his credit, he consulted with the industry and he consulted with his own constituents and came to the decision only this week that the government would not proceed with that. So there are tens of thousands of people out there who now have the relief of knowing that they won't go broke or won't go blind. In his absence, I thank the minister through you, Deputy Speaker.

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