10th Aug 2017, 12:21 PM – Senate Motions - Suspension of Standing Orders - Public dental care

The majority voted in favour of an amendment to an original motion, which means it was successful.

Amendment text

Omit subparagraphs (b)(i) to (iii), substitute:

(i) has cut $300 million dollars a year from the National Partnership Agreement on adult dental health, drastically reducing access to public dental care for the many Australians who rely on these services,

(ii) has cynically cut funding to the Child Dental Benefits Scheme by $300 per child last year, in an appalling attempt to ‘balance the budget’ off the back of dental care for disadvantaged Australian children, until the Senate forced them to back track; and

(c) calls on the Government to urgently end its sustained attack on public dental care and restore the much-needed funding, to ensure Australians have access to the care they need.

Original motion

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) this week is the Australian Dental Association's Dental Health Week,

(ii) this year's theme is Oral Health for Busy Lives,

(iii) 16 per cent of Australians say they don't visit a dentist because they are too busy, and 65 per cent of Australians have not visited the dentist in more than two years, and

(iv) essential oral hygiene and preventive habits, such as brushing and flossing, should be a priority of all Australian adults; and

(b) further notes that the Australian Government:

(i) is providing the states and territories with $320 million for adult public dental services through a national partnership agreement from July 2016,

(ii) funds the Child Dental Benefits Schedule which allows eligible children to access up to $1,000 worth of check-ups and treatments every two years, covering a range of preventive and basic treatment services, and

(iii) is funding the Royal Flying Doctor Service to deliver new mobile dental outreach services in rural and regional Australia.