Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this bill. I'm very proud to support the introduction and implementation of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Genetic Testing Protections in Life Insurance and Other Measures) Bill 2025. It is very long overdue. Together with members on this side, I stand very proudly in support of stronger protections for people undergoing genetic testing, and ensuring that any genetic testing that's done will not be detrimental in terms of other financial products or insurances that they wish to purchase to protect their lives—something to protect the family with, in case there's a death—or protecting the costs that are incurred with health insurance. That's why this particular bill is very important. We need to ensure that we have measures in place that give stronger protection to people undergoing genetic testing.

Genetic testing is a good thing. It can monitor the traits of your ancestors in your body. Deputy Speaker Freelander, I don't have to tell you, being a doctor, how important it is. We don't want people to put their health at risk. Through testing, they might discover that all the males in their family have a history of prostate cancer, for example. It makes sense to have a test done to see if you share genetic make-up that will give you a high likelihood of developing prostate cancer. That would be a good thing to discover early. You could take precautions, have regular testing and put a whole range of measures in place to protect you.

The dangerous side of it is that, when we want to purchase a financial product, such as life insurance or general health insurance, it could be very detrimental. At that point the person would have to make a decision as to whether to go ahead with the genetic testing so they can get all the details of their family history—I gave you an example of prostate cancer; it could be a whole range of other things—in order to protect themselves into the future. If these laws aren't in place, they will have to consider: Will I lose my life insurance? Will I be able to get health cover? Will I be able to afford the premiums or the excesses that they may impose upon me because of this genetic testing? Health should never be a choice. We should be doing the best that we can for our health, as individuals, as governments and as a community. This bill protects not only the health of people but also the issues that could affect the financial costs of health or—even worse—lead to people not being able to get any cover at all.

Across the country, individuals and families are choosing to undertake genetic testing so they can make sense of their health, prepare for the future and make informed decisions that may one day save their lives. These tests give people knowledge, and with knowledge comes clarity to map out the future for better health. For far too long that same information—information that can guide someone to life-saving treatment—has been a source of anxiety rather than empowerment and, as I explained earlier, potentially detrimental in terms of costs and insurance cover. People who sought knowledge found themselves caught in a system that made them feel vulnerable, judged and sometimes even punished, instead of being supported for taking proactive steps. Too many faced barriers precisely when they needed understanding the most.

Across communities, including countless people who began reaching out to my office as early as February last year, the message from the public has been consistent, as I'm sure it has been for all of us who have constituents that come to talk to us about this particular issue. The message that I've been hearing is clear: this isn't fair, and we need to make it fairer. People have shared their stories, their fears, their hopes and their belief that a society built on compassion should not allow people to be disadvantaged simply because they choose to learn more about their health, their genetic make-up and the things that they could be prone to, and what they should be doing to prevent any negative health. These voices, the people who have come to see me, steady and sincere constituents, carried a simple truth: no-one should ever be penalised for doing the right thing, especially in health. No-one should have to choose between seeking life-saving medical insight and preserving peace of mind for themselves and their families. No-one should ever be placed in that position.

Debate interrupted.

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