Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today, during Women's Health Week, to speak on a matter that touches every family in every community in every corner of our nation: the health and wellbeing of Australian women. Women's Health Week is more than a campaign; it is a call to action. It is a reminder that women's health must be prioritised, protected and properly funded. It is a time to listen to women, to learn from their experiences and to lead with compassion and purpose.

I know firsthand the strength and resilience of our women—mothers, daughters, sisters, carers, workers and leaders. But I also know the quiet struggles many face when it comes to accessing timely, affordable and respectful health care. For too long, women's health has been treated as an afterthought. It has been underfunded, underresearched and, too often, misunderstood.

That's why I am proud to support the work this government is doing to improve women's health outcomes. These are not just policy announcements. They are a promise to Australian women that their health matters. In last year's federal budget, the Albanese Labor government delivered targeted investment to improve access to care for women with complex gynaecological conditions. This included new Medicare rebates for longer consultations with gynaecologists, funding to improve menopause treatment, expanded access to midwifery services and free period products for First Nations women and girls.

We have also taken important steps in reproductive health. For decades women have shouldered the financial burden of managing their fertility. This government has changed that. We have listened to what Australian women want. We have listed new oral contraceptives on the PBS, saving women hundreds of dollars each year. We've increased Medicare rebates for IUDs and implants. We are also trialling pharmacy access for contraceptives and uncomplicated urinary tract infection treatments, benefiting thousands of women, particularly in regional and rural communities. These reforms are about choice, equity and dignity. They are about giving women control over their health, without the financial penalties.

Menopause is another area where silence has reigned for too long. Women have been told to suffer quietly, to push through and to accept the discomfort, but that is no longer acceptable. We now have a Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments, national clinical guidelines, a public awareness campaign and new hormonal therapies listed on the PBS.

Endometriosis affects one in nine Australian women. It is painful, debilitating and, too often, undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. That's why we've expanded our network of endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics to dozens of locations around the country. These clinics now treat a broader range of conditions, including menopause.

I have spoken in this chamber before about the need to break the silence about gynaecological cancers. I have supported the Senate committee report Breaking the silence, which calls for better awareness and early detection and support for women facing these devastating diagnoses.

I also want to acknowledge the burden of chronic conditions—like arthritis, which disproportionately affects women. As a member of the Parliamentary Friends of Arthritis, I've worked alongside Arthritis Australia and heard directly from women living with this condition. Arthritis is one of the leading causes of pain and disability in Australia, with some seven million Australians being diagnosed with this disease. It is vital that we continue to invest in prevention, early intervention and support.

These reforms were shaped by the Senate inquiry, the National Women's Health Advisory Council and the voices of women across Australia. This is what good government looks like: listening, acting and delivering. That's why when you have the majority of your members of caucus as women, as we do, it changes government and it changes the nation. So I'm very proud to be part of this Labor government that is delivering not just for women, because women's health has an impact on their families and on their communities. I'm very proud to be part of this government and of the ministers with responsibility in this area for the leadership they have shown.