Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

Australians were promised access to life-saving proton beam therapy right here in Australia. Yet, years later, this promise remains unfulfilled. The Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research sits empty on North Terrace in Adelaide, without the proton beam technology it was built to house, forcing parents like Billie to travel overseas so her young daughter Evelyn could receive lifesaving treatment. Proton beam therapy is cutting-edge technology that not only saves lives but also improves patients' quality of life, avoiding lifelong repercussions. No Australian family should have to endure the financial, emotional and physical burden of travelling overseas for a treatment that is readily available overseas and could be available here at home but for the inaction of both the federal and state governments.

Today, I was proud to table in this chamber a petition signed by more than 27,000 people on behalf of Proton Cancer Access Australia and the families involved: the Tuckerman family, including Billie and Evelyn; Daniel Johnstone; Shona Edwards; the Martin family; the Paul family; the Millard family; the Camerini family; the Marchmont family; the Ouwens family; the Jacket family; the Marcol and Peterson family; the Chehab family; the Tunks and Scott family; the Kelly family; the Pfoeffer family; the Suggate family; the Ward family; the Savorgnan family; and the Gallard family. I am calling on the Albanese federal government and the Malinauskas South Australian government to urgently respond to this petition and tell us when the project is going to be delivered. Cancer patients and their families deserve action—not more delays; not more excuses. Hopefully, the tabling of this petition today ensures this issue finally receives the attention and actions it deserves from both the state and federal governments so that these families are not doing this in vain.