Labor Launches Australian Dental Care

Media Statement - 30 January 2004

Labor believes Australia should use its prosperity to help people get the basic health care they need and deserve.

Labor will invest $300 million in Australian Dental Care over four years, resulting in $120 million per year for this program when fully operational.

Labor will work in partnership with the States and Territories to implement Australian Dental Care. A genuine partnership with the States and Territories will deliver services to agreed national benchmarks.

This will provide up to 1,300,000 extra dental procedures for Australians, enough to clear the existing backlog and substantially reduce the waiting lists.

When the Howard Government abolished the Commonwealth Dental Health Program in 1996, there were 380,000 Australians waiting an average of six months for public dental care. There are now over 500,000 people waiting up to five years to get their teeth fixed.

Many people on the waiting lists for dental care are elderly. We can do better as a nation and a government.

Australian Dental Care will revive Ben Chifley's vision when he inserted an amendment into the Constitution in 1946 that said affordable dental health treatment was as essential as other medical treatment.

Dental care is a national responsibility – no matter what John Howard says. He has left Australia as a waiting country with a waiting list government.

Under Labor, the Federal and State Governments will join together in a great national effort to fix the dental health crisis. The quality of services provided under Australian Dental Care will be subject to rigorous data collection and benchmarking.

Australian Dental Care

Under Labor's plan, concession card holders, such as pensioners, health care card holders and their dependants will now get:

• Free check ups when they need them.
• As well as subsidised dental treatments, restorations and dentures.

Labor's plan will also:

• Assess the dental health of every person admitted to residential care and putting in place an action plan to provide ongoing care.
• Target programs for Indigenous communities that recognise specific problems like lack of water fluoridation and high diabetes rates.
• Provide public education and awareness programs that help with prevention, as well as better data collection to make sure our programs help those most in need.

State and Territory Governments will spend $383 million on dental servicesfor health care card holders and school children this financial year.

Labor's plan for Australian Dental Care means the Commonwealth will also meet its responsibility. This is one of the basic services of a civilised society. And only Labor will provide it.