Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I was referring to the comments by Mr David Learmonth. In answering my question, he told the hearing that the decision to knock back the listing of Botox as a treatment for excessive sweating, as explained by a young witness, Ms Cheye-Ann Ellsum, at the Melbourne hearing:

... was the decision of government in the case of that particular medicine.

He dismissed it offhand just like that—just like Minister Roxon dismissed it offhand. This young lady needed Botox injections to treat severe sweating. Her grandparents had to pay after the treatment was refused subsidy. As she gave evidence, we thought thank goodness for her grandparents. This young woman was prepared to appear before the committee so that we could hear how these decisions taken around the cabinet table in Canberra have drastic and debilitat­ing effects on people's lives. This young witness is the face of that bad decision.

And there was another witness who appeared before the committee: Renee Hindson, a single mother who had a brain tumour and needed certain drugs. I wish to put on the record my admiration of both these witnesses for their courage in coming to give evidence. Frequently at these inquir­ies we have officials and companies, but we do not often see these sorts of witnesses. It was difficult but very good that these people gave evidence.

Initial costs for new drugs can mean long-term savings, but the PBAC's recommend­ations have been ignored by Minister Roxon and her cabinet colleagues. This is not an ideal way to formulate health policy. What is the point of having an expert advisory body if its advice is ignored? These decisions have a real impact on the quality of people's lives. The committee heard that the pharmaceutical companies felt frustrated. The deferrals go against the spirit of the memorandum of understanding between the industry and the government. The inquiry exposed the anger in the medical and pharmaceutical commun­ities over the meddling by a group of people unqualified to make life-and-death decisions on people's treatment. This is the same government responsible for billions of dollars of waste, as I said, in pink batts, BER and the rest.