PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you very much Holly. It is wonderful to be here.
Who would’ve thought years ago, Glenn, that the colour pink would be as associated with the Sydney Test as the Baggy Green? Who would’ve imagined that?
And that is the way in which you have carried the courage and the love of Jane through all those years. You and your children, Sara, Madi, all of you together, you’ve carried this through with great love and great dedication.
And now we have 118 McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses right around Australia, most of them in regional Australia working to care for their patients like Michelle Rosano is with her patient Wendy here today. Let’s hear it for those Breast Care Nurses.
[APPLAUSE]
I’m joined here today by Bridget McKenzie, the Minister for Sport, the Minister for Rural Health as well Glenn of course, the President, Tracy Bevan, the Ambassador and Director of the McGrath Foundation, David Peever, the Chairman of Cricket Australia.
You know, we talked about fundraising and I am thrilled Holly that we are now past the half million dollar mark, I was hoping you were going to say we were past the half way mark which would be $650,000 – maybe we can get there by the end of the High Tea. But you know, governments have the deepest pockets and you know why that is? Because by force of law they can reach into your pockets. And a dollar from the government buys as much as a dollar that you give.
But there is a hell of a difference, a big difference.
The money that you give today comes with your love.
It comes with the same love that Jane McGrath had to help others.
It comes with the same love that Glenn and his whole family have.
It comes with a passion, an advocacy, a commitment.
It comes with the same love that the New South Wales Police Force has shown by donating their pay today to the McGrath Foundation.
That is why it is so powerful. So, please, dig deep.
This is a time to – don't worry about the government getting into your hip pocket, this is a time to get in there first. Get in there first and make a generous donation to the Jane McGrath Foundation.
I want to observe, however, that, of course, the Federal Government is a very strong supporter of the McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurses.
There are 118 breast care nurses around Australia. We want there to be more. That's why we are seeking to raise the money – 57 of those are funded by the Federal Government, 61 by the McGrath Foundation's own resources.
Now, they are so critically important. As Holly said a moment ago, every day in Australia, around 49 people are diagnosed with breast cancer. One in eight women will fight breast cancer in their lifetime.
It's in those dark days after diagnosis that a breast cancer nurse provides support, guidance and reassurance.
That's why, of course, we are funding almost half the McGrath Breast Care Nurses around the country.
But to defeat cancer, we need prevention and treatment powered by world class research.
In the last four years, the Federal Government has provided more than $800 million for cancer research with more than 10 per cent of that dedicated to research into breast cancer.
We're also funding affordable chemotherapy, newer targeted therapies through our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and early detection through Breast Screen Australia.
But there will always be more to do and that's why days like this are so important.
I hope that the sea of pink, both here and across the grounds, the Pink Picnic here at Allianz, the events all around the nation, this sea of pink is a sea of love, demonstrating to everyone who is battling breast cancer that you are not alone, that you are loved and we are supporting you.
Please, be as generous as you can. Thank you very much for your support. Let's make sure the 10th Pink Test is an absolute record year for fundraising for the Foundation.
Thank you very much.
[ENDS]