THE Wyndham Greens have joined a chorus calling for at least $1billion to be earmarked in next month’s federal budget for a taxpayer-funded dental health care scheme.
Launching a petition on Watton Street last Wednesday, the Wyndham branch joined the party’s national campaign for a Medicare-style dental plan.
Major investment in such a program, expected to cost up to $5.5billion, was one of the main conditions on which the Greens helped Labor form a minority government.
Wyndham Greens convener Eilis Hughes said the campaign, staged outside Medicare in Watton Street, was aimed at making dental health more affordable.
According to the Greens, one in three Australians say they can’t afford to go to the dentist or delay going because of the cost.
“There are around half a million people already on waiting lists for public dental care,” Ms Hughes said.
“On average, they wait 27 months for treatment and, in some cases, people have waited for more than five years.
“There are more than 60,000 hospital visits each year caused by lack of access to affordable dental care.”
Werribee resident Ravi Mishra, a signatory to the petition, said a Medicare-funded dental care program was long overdue.
“The most expensive medical cost is dental care,” he said.
“My mother recently had a tooth problem, and she had to pay $400 for it … it’s painful having to spend that kind of money.”
But as the government foreshadows a tight budget, speculation is rife that the Greens’ demands may not be met.
Federal Greens senator Richard Di Natale said investment in dental health care should not be scrapped in a bid to achieve a surplus.
Prime Minister and Lalor MP Julia Gillard said the government was committed to delivering better dental care.
“Any new scheme will need to be affordable, phased in over time and targeted at those Australians who can least afford to pay for dental care,” she said.
“We won’t be drawn into speculating on what is in the budget ahead of budget night.”
