In a desperate bid for votes, the Howard Government has begun peddling lies about its failing dental policy and it’s about time Gary Humphries came clean on the true impact of this scheme.
Gary Humphries – just like coalition members and candidates around the country have been telling voters their dental policy is open to all Australians – when it is only open to a very narrow range of people.
Here in Canberra there have been wildly exaggerated tales of who can receive dental care under the Howard Government’s so called Enhanced Primary Care program.
The fact is that the Government’s failing dental scheme is not available to anyone with a toothache, it is only available to people who meet a strict set of criteria.
Under this policy, if you have a chronic medical condition, like valvular heart disease or diabetes or malignancies of the head and neck AND you have poor oral health or a dental condition which is exacerbating a chronic and complex disease AND you are being treated under a Multidisciplinary Care Plan, then you are eligible for assistance with your dental care.
Narrow eligibility is one reason why only 8000 Australians have received assistance from the program over the last three years.
The Howard Government slashed the Commonwealth Dental Program when they came to Government in 1996, meaning access to dental care for working families was seriously reduced.
In contrast, the first instalment of Labor’s Commonwealth Dental Health Program – committing $290 million for our new Commonwealth Dental Health Program – will fund up to 1 million dental consultations and treatments across the country.
Federal Labor’s dental policy will help clear the backlog on our public dental waiting lists; the Government’s policy will do nothing to alleviate Australia’s dental crisis.”
In addition, Federal Labor has committed $510 million to a Teen Dental Plan that will allow many ACT parents to claim up to $150 on the cost of an annual dental preventative check for each of their teenage children through Medicare.
Canberrans can’t afford three more years of a government that has lost touch with the genuine interests of our community.
Contact: Rachel Allen 0418 488 295
