Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to refer the House to an important report that was released two days ago by the National Stroke Foundation. It is entitled Stroke in Australia: No postcode untouched and details the consequences of the medical condition known as stroke. The report documented the concerning statistic that every 10 minutes someone in Australia suffers a stroke and that in one week the nation averages almost 1,000 new cases. A key message of the report is that it affects all areas of the nation. The statistics are particularly bad for regional and rural areas. The New South Wales coast, for example, features heavily with six of the top 10 federal electorates for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My electorate of Eden-Monaro has the fourth highest number of residents with high cholesterol, at 28 per cent of the population. Overall in Eden-Monaro, it is estimated that there will be 385 strokes this year, and it is known that there are currently 3,328 stroke survivors. At a personal level, I know fully the consequences of stroke with both my mother and grandfather having suffered the consequences. I know that this is an area that is front and centre on the government's agenda. In particular, I hope that the $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund, which was a centrepiece of the recent budget, will contribute to our nation's ability to deal with this crippling medical condition.