Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I draw the attention of the Senate today to the recent decision of the Morrison government to cut funding to peak health organisations across a range of health sectors. Governments, communities and health sectors rely on these trusted, credible services and peak bodies to provide advice and leadership, yet in 2021 the government cut the number of organisations funded and also cut out a number of well-established organisations from receiving funding at all under their peak organisation funding. At a time when we need mental health support and it couldn't be more pressing, the government ended its peak funding for Mental Health Australia and Lifeline.

This is made all the worse by coming just weeks after the Minister for Health assured organisations like the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations and the National Association of People with HIV Australia of the government's commitment to seeing an end to HIV transmission in Australia. We have seen great gains made in ending HIV transmission in Australia, and NAPWHA and AFAO have been heavily relied upon by the government in meeting those goals. This is not the time to cut their peak funding—a time when we are still to reach zero transmissions here in Australia, a goal that is entirely achievable but only with the support of these organisations, who have a great track record, who have been there since the beginning of the HIV pandemic and who bring the voice of affected communities to the table. Without that voice, governments cannot possibly deliver on these goals.