Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the Labor government's decision in the last federal budget to close the chronic disease dental scheme by December this year. This, like many Labor decisions, has not been thought out and will leave a lot of residents in Macquarie without access to much needed dental care. The coalition government introduced the chronic disease dental scheme in 2007. Since then nearly 13 million dental services have been provided to over half a million Australians. Now the Gillard Labor government wants to close it down. The scheme provides $4,250 worth of dental assistance over two years for patients who are diagnosed with a chronic illness, whose dental condition is exacerbating that illness and who are managed under a general practitioner care plan.

To close this scheme would have disastrous health impacts on the residents of Macquarie. The chronic disease dental scheme has been very beneficial. It has aided many Australians to access dental care in a timely fashion. Dental care can be very costly, and waiting lists are often longer than those in need can afford to wait. Under the scheme a lot of these challenges have been alleviated.

The Labor government have tried on two separate occasions to stop this popular scheme and both times the Senate has disallowed its closure. Labor are now trying to close the scheme for a third time. This is another example of the Labor government thinking they know better than the Australian people.

The need for this scheme cannot be disputed. In its first year, 400,235 New South Wales services accessed this scheme. In the 2010-11 financial year this had surged over 700 per cent to 2,859,175 services. This very effective scheme is being shut down by a Labor government desperate to recover some of the billions of dollars they have wasted in their suite of mismanaged policies, whether it be pink batts, the five-for-one people swap or the carbon tax—and, of course, the list goes on.

Across my electorate I have found strong support for the chronic disease dental scheme. I have spoken to dentists and patients from suburbs such as Blaxland, Bligh Park and Katoomba and the message has always been the same. The chronic disease dental scheme has allowed many people who otherwise could not have gained access to dental health care the opportunity to do so in a timely manner without the cost affecting their ability to receive treatment.

Many local dentists are sceptical of Labor's ability to deliver a viable alternative and have grave concerns about the number of people who, if the scheme is removed, will be sent to the back of a very long public waiting list. Local dentists have highlighted to me how troubling bad teeth can be for your health. To offer a patient a vital life-saving device or operation and not ensure that their teeth are healthy could potentially undo all of that work. Bacteria and other diseases that are on your teeth and gums can spread throughout your body. Healthy teeth are an important part of a healthy life.

I was told stories of how this scheme had affected the lives of Macquarie residents in positive ways. I was told the story of a woman from the Blue Mountains who had lived with no teeth for the past 20 years due to losing them in a shocking case of domestic violence. She had never been able to afford new teeth. Thanks to the chronic disease dental scheme she received the much needed surgery. When she saw herself in the mirror with her brand-new teeth she burst into tears and said it was one of the happiest moments of her life.

Another story was of a young person battling to break the cycle of drug addiction. Due to her challenges with this addiction she had, unfortunately, lost all of her teeth. She qualified for new teeth under the chronic disease dental scheme. Thanks to this and her new lease on life she has been able to break the cycle and turn her life around and obtain work. She now works in a local fruit shop. She is back on track with a healthy lifestyle. Being able to access the workforce has made a real difference in her rehabilitation.

The dentists I spoke to made one thing very clear to me. Dental assistance is valuable not only for a person's physical health but also for their self-esteem and mental health. The chronic disease dental scheme has helped to improve the health and morale of Australians who otherwise could not have afforded to receive this assistance. We live in a time of economic uncertainty. The cost of living is continuing to rise and more members of my electorate are struggling to make ends meet. This Labor government is now proposing to close access to dental health care that has made, and will continue to make, a difference to the lives of my constituents.