Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. The minister would be aware that the three Independent MPs have given united support to the Cancer Council's prebudget call for the addition of Australians aged between 60 and 70 to an expanded National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. Given that Australia's overall bowel cancer medical bill is estimated at $1 billion per annum and that bowel cancer is the second most fatal cancer after lung cancer, will the minister join with the crossbenchers and support an additional $15 million per annum from this year's budget towards the program to allow coverage of those two age groups?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for New England for that question. I know that he has a terrific commitment to the health of his constituents and I have very much enjoyed visiting the Manilla Multi-Purpose Service with him at its opening last week and, indeed, stopping in and looking at the new cancer centre as it is being constructed in Tamworth in his electorate. I know also that the members for Lyne and Denison have, with the member for New England, been supporting the Cancer Council campaign for an expansion of the Bowel Cancer Screening Program. Of course I am not able to comment on what may or may not be in the budget but I do want to say that the members are—

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why have you reduced the funding?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You could have asked this question had you been bothered, but you can never be bothered to ask a question about health.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dickson will remain silent.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why has your funding gone down?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can never be bothered to ask a question about health.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will pause and the honourable member for Dickson will remove himself from the chamber under the provisions of standing order 94(a). He is very fortunate that he has not been named because I asked him to remain quiet and he continued to interject.

The member for Dickson then left the chamber.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I note you have removed the member for Dickson under standing orders for not following your admonition to him but I would put it to you that the minister's response to the member for Dickson was just as bad and she should also be asked to leave the chamber.

Peter Slipper (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is a difference. The minister had the call; the honourable member for Dickson did not. The minister has the call.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to agree with the member for New England about the importance of bowel cancer screening. He is right in indicating that this is the second most common cause of cancer deaths. Indeed, it is a serious issue. That is why we have committed to ongoing funding for screening for 50-, 55- and 65-year-olds, which will see almost 3.7 million people offered screening over the next four years. It is very important to say that this national screening program, terrific as it is and important as it is in detecting cancers early, when they are much more treatable, is not a replacement for regular contact with a person's GP. People who are outside those screening ages can talk to their GP and can have that test if it is clinically indicated. People are also able to buy a testing kit from a pharmacist for $37. Included in that $37 screening kit is the test itself, the pathology, and also notification to the patient and to their nominated doctor about the results of that test. Thank you for the question. I take it in the spirit in which it was intended—a very worthwhile raising of a very important issue.