I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that National Skin Cancer Action Week will be held from Sunday 15 to Sunday 22 November 2026;

(2) recognises that:

(a) Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with two in three Australians diagnosed with some form of skin cancer in their lifetime;

(b) more than 17,000 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma each year; and

(c) prevention and early detection remain critical to reducing the impact of skin cancer;

(3) acknowledges the Government's investment in preventing, detecting and treating skin cancer, including:

(a) $15 million for national skin cancer prevention campaigns targeting Australians at greater risk;

(b) $10.3 million to accelerate development of a national targeted skin cancer screening roadmap; and

(c) investment in medical research and new technologies to improve skin cancer detection and treatment;

(4) further recognises the contribution of Australian researchers, health professionals and advocates working to reduce the impact of skin cancer; and

(5) encourages all Australians to use National Skin Cancer Action Week as an opportunity to take action to protect their skin and understand the importance of early detection.

I was 27 years old when I received a phone call that changed my life. I was on my lunch break in the city in Brisbane, and my dermatologist's phone number popped up on my phone. I'd been having regular skin checks since I was about 16 years of age, but this time it was different. A suspicious mole that had been removed had been detected as a melanoma. In the years that followed, I'd be diagnosed with two more melanomas in different locations—three melanomas in total—before I turned 30. I grew up in Yeppoon in Central Queensland, and my childhood was spent outdoors, sailing and enjoying the Queensland sunshine, without thinking too much about the damage that it could cause. At that age, skin cancer can feel like something that happens to someone much older, but melanoma does not discriminate by age, and I know firsthand how quickly your life can change when you hear that diagnosis.

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. More than 17,000 Australians are diagnosed with skin cancer each and every year. In Queensland, we have the highest rates of melanoma in the country. In my community of Bonner, the risk feels particularly close to home. The Australian Cancer Atlas has identified melanoma rates in Manly, Lota and neighbouring Birkdale as more than 90 per cent above the national average. These are the communities where we all spend our weekends. We are out on the bay or on the foreshore, enjoying the sunshine, and we should be able to enjoy that lifestyle, but we do need to be conscious of the risks.

My experience taught me many things, particularly that early detection matters and also that the importance of research in our country is absolutely critical. I am incredibly grateful to have started my skin checks when I was only 16 years of age, but I know that my story could have been very different if I had started much later. Not everyone knows their risks, knows what changes to look for or can easily access the care they need, particularly if they live in rural and regional parts of our country. That is exactly why the Albanese Labor government is investing in prevention and better evidence for early detection. In 2024, the government provided $10.3 million to develop a National Targeted Melanoma Screening Program roadmap, led by the Melanoma Institute Australia. This work will help fill important evidence gaps and guide future decisions about a targeted screening program. Recommendations are due in 2028. We are also investing $15 million over two years in national skin cancer prevention campaigns with Cancer Council Australia.

I want to talk very quickly about the important work of Cancer Council Queensland. I can't speak more highly of their professionalism, their service and the support that they provide. When I was first diagnosed, they provided me with a number of counselling sessions, and it was incredibly important for my mental health and for my recovery. I was also really pleased, in recent years, to launch their book, When Mitzy the Foggle Got Cancer, which is a children's book helping support parents who have experienced cancer diagnoses and need to explain that diagnosis to their children. Even in recent years, reading that book to my own children has helped them understand my journey and also understand my scars and what that means for them with their own skin and in their own future.

There is also a reason for extraordinary hope in the work being done by Australian researchers. Last week, Professor Georgina Long AO announced results from a world-leading phase 3 trial of personalised melanoma vaccine. For people with high-risk melanoma whose tumours have been removed, adding the vaccine to immunotherapy reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42 per cent compared with immunotherapy alone. This is a major research milestone. I want to acknowledge Professor Long and the late Professor Richard Scolyer AO. Their work helped transform melanoma treatment and has brought hope to people facing this disease around the world.

I myself have participated in a number of clinical trials. They help to promote discoveries and turn that evidence into better treatments, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for patients. That is why sustained investment in clinical research matters. I'm incredibly proud of our government for ensuring that the money is being invested into these long-term treatment and vaccine options for patients moving forward. I commend this motion to the House.