PRIME MINISTER:
I want to congratulate the co-Chairs of Parliamentary Friends of Prostate Cancer, Warren Entsch and Jason Clare. I know this is very bipartisan. Bill Shorten will be here shortly, I gather.
I want to acknowledge Associate Professor Anthony Lowe, the CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Jim Hughes, the National Chairman who is not here as Steve was saying, but thank him for his work in his absence. And of course Jim Lloyd, our old friend and colleague, as Ambassador for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
Warren Entsch of course is not known for being shy and he encourages all of the men here and around Australia to stop being shy about asking the doctor for a check-up. Don’t run away in fear when you hear the snap of the rubber glove.
This is the time to recognise that there are 16,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed every year. Sadly, 3,000 men die from it each year.
We can improve those statistics, which means more men will survive prostate cancer if more men get a check-up and that might be a physical check-up or it could be the blood test that is available upstairs in the Reps Alcove.
As Warren said: ‘Nothing to be afraid of’.
We encourage everyone to have that test, if you haven’t had that PSA test recently.
As Steve said, we recognise the fantastic work the prostate cancer nurses do and the care and support they provide both to patients and families. So we are, as Steve acknowledged, extending the funding for the 14 prostate cancer nurses we already fund, $5.9 million over three years and we’re doubling the funding over the next three years to increase the number of Commonwealth funded nurses to 28.
[Applause]
So they will be able to assist up to 8,000 men with prostate cancer over the next three years. So I want to encourage everybody, particularly the men, not to be frightened. The doctor won’t hurt you, I promise. He won’t hurt you and he might save your life. So fire up the barbie on this cold day and remember awareness, taking care of yourself, making sure you get that check-up, that could save your life.
Thanks very much and have a great day.
[ENDS]