2016-12-15
Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale condemned the Turnbull government's huge cuts to dental services funding announced today by Health Minister Susan Ley.
“The is another attempt by this Government to balance the budget off the back of health care for the most vulnerable people in our society. Cutting the value of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule by $300 per child will significantly reduce the amount of dental care that Aussie kids can access.”
“The Greens worked together with Labor to make this scheme a reality and now it is going to be up to the Greens and Labor to save it. We will move to disallow this move at the earliest possible opportunity, and we call on the ALP to join us in working to save this vital program which was a positive legacy of the 2010 Parliament.”
“The decision to reduce Commonwealth funding to the states for the provision of essential dental services to the most vulnerable in the community means that wait times at public dental clinics, which are already running into years, will only get longer and leave more patients at risk.”
“While the government has finally agreed with the senate and given up on cutting the CDBS altogether, it is quietly gutting the program’s funding.”
“Cutting public dental funding is unfair and short sighted, and the Greens will continue our fight to give more people access to Medicare-funded dental care."