Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to speak on dental health, an issue which I have raised many times in the House. Dental health is a major concern in my electorate, as it is right throughout Australia. I will start by focusing on federal Labor’s plan to fix the dental health crisis, including the announcement earlier today of the first instalment of Labor’s Commonwealth dental program. This plan involves a Rudd Labor government funding up to one million additional dental consultations for Australians needing dental treatment by establishing a Commonwealth dental health program with funding of $290 million. This is part of federal Labor’s determination to take national leadership and to end the blame game in health, which we have seen so many times from the Howard government. I commend the opposition leader’s and the shadow health minister’s announcement. It will certainly go a long way to fixing the dental health crisis. There are 650,000 Australians on public dental waiting lists throughout the country. That is a staggering number of people who, often very desperately, need dental care. The Howard government’s record on dental health is indeed shameful; in fact, it ripped $100 million from the Commonwealth dental health program in 1996. Now, all the government seem to do is play the blame game with dental health.

In my electorate of Richmond, one of the major issues raised by local seniors and families is the lack of affordable dental care. Indeed, many families and seniors are forced to make very stark choices between dental treatment and other day-to-day necessities. It is an absolute disgrace that locals have been missing out on this very vital health service just because they cannot afford to see a dentist when they desperately need to. Over 4,000 locals have signed my petition that calls for the reinstatement of a Commonwealth dental health scheme. Many of the stories that locals have told me about their desperate need for dental health care are horrific: some are in extreme pain; some are barely able to eat or speak; for some, their dentures are falling out of their mouths; and some have even had to resort to pulling out their own teeth. This is not just unacceptable; it is indeed shameful. The waiting list for dental services in my electorate of Richmond can sometimes be years and years, and this situation is happening right across the country. The 2007 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report concludes that 30 per cent of Australians reported avoiding dental care due to the cost, and over 20 per cent said that cost had prevented them from having recommended dental treatment.

Everyone is sick and tired of the Howard government playing the blame game and denying its responsibility for providing dental care. It is very disappointing that the Howard government has not taken seriously its responsibility for dental health. It has failed to hear the concerns of Australians, and it shows yet again how out of touch it is. My frustration at this situation is exacerbated by the fact that proper investment in dental care is also good economic management. Every year thousands of patients, including alarming numbers of children, are admitted to hospital wards because they were not able to access proper and affordable dental services. So an added burden is being placed on our health services that could be alleviated by reinstating a Commonwealth dental scheme. All we get from the coalition is buck-passing and carping about the states. The fact is that state and territory governments have invested in dental care, but they need a federal government that is prepared to fulfil its responsibility. To enlighten coalition members, I draw their attention to section 51 of the Australian Constitution, which gives the federal government responsibility for dental care.

Dental care is not just important for teeth; it is also very important for overall health because poor dental health can contribute to a deterioration in one’s health. By not providing adequate public dental care and not training enough dentists, the Howard government is putting the health of Australians at risk. It is time to stop the buck-passing and to reinstate a Commonwealth dental program, and that is what a Rudd Labor government will do. Let us end the blame game. Let us see a federal government working cooperatively with the states to ensure that services are delivered and to make sure that there is adequate health care for those who need it. That is what a Rudd Labor government will do. This is an issue that requires national leadership. It is not about blaming; it is about fixing. And that is what a Rudd Labor government will do. Labor will do that because we acknowledge that it is a federal government responsibility to provide dental care. It is only through the election of a Rudd Labor government that Australians will finally get the dental care that they so desperately need and deserve.