Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently we saw the announcement from the government that the drug Herceptin will be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. This is something that will bring relief to thousands of women, and their families, who are dealing with breast cancer and many others who are friends of women dealing with breast cancer. It was a good decision by the government and I am very pleased that several honourable members were able to play a role in bringing it about. Locally we obtained 28,000 signatures for the petition calling for Herceptin to be put on the PBS.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank in the House several of the ladies who helped in organising that petition: Jacqui Brinley, Norma Charlton, Thelma Daley, Lurline Garlich, Maria Frizzo, Helen Kerfoot, Pam Vallett, Anne Stevenson and Robyn McKeon. I recently had the opportunity to invite those ladies to my electorate office for a morning tea to celebrate the victory. There are other women who played a very significant role. We were not able to get to all of them in time for the morning tea, but I would like to acknowledge in the House the efforts of Anne Haydon, Matthew and Maria Stulic, Jan Cochrane, Susan Penn, Susan Mallia, Cathy Estigarribia, Iris Millard and Lewis Atalla. Ironically, Anne Haydon, who I spoke to the other day, since organising many signatures for the petition has been diagnosed with breast cancer herself. I had the opportunity to call her the other day to wish her all the best and I am sure all honourable members would not mind me mentioning that the parliament also wish her the best.

In addition, I would like to just take a couple of minutes to send some good wishes to another of the ladies who I mentioned earlier, Thelma Daley, who organised many signatures. She is turning 80 and she has a party on Saturday night to which I have been invited and to which I will be very honoured to go. Thelma Daley is an ornament to our community. She has been recognised for her community service through an Order of Australia medal and many other awards. It is great that she is celebrating her 80th birthday and I am very pleased to be able to celebrate with her.

In conclusion, I congratulate the government on this decision. It was a long time coming. It took an effort on the part of many people in the community. It was a win for people power. Other honourable members, especially the honourable member for Cunningham, the honourable member for Holt and the honourable member for Chifley, also organised petitions. I know other honourable members did too. It shows that people can make a difference. If you organise a petition and put pressure on, you can get a good result. Women should not be forced to mortgage their homes to pay for their medical treatment. People should not be forced to sell their farms to save their lives. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is there for this reason and it is appropriate that Herceptin be listed on it.