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back to archive indexDate: 31st April Our Dental Inquiry Needs Your SupportWe’ve been very successful in the last month, managing the, sometimes tricky, process of getting an important on the agenda. The comments and heartfelt thanks we’ve received for initiating the Parliamentary inquiries into the Funeral Industry and Macquarie Fields have proved to us how important these issues are to the people of NSW. Now we are trying to shine a light on the situation with Dental Health in NSW.Our terms of reference (see TOR) for an inquiry into Dental Health Services in NSW were accepted on the 7th of April, and the inquiry is now taking submissions from the public, organisations and government departments until the 27th of May. Although it is blindingly obvious that action must be taken immediately to address the concerns of many hundreds of people, who have been on waiting lists for anything between nine months and five years, the inquiry will be the first serious look at where NSW stands with Dental Health since emergency funding from the Federal Government was wound down in 1997. The picture so far is not a good one, and I am very worried that the members of the inquiry may not get the same clear picture that I am getting through the letters and phone calls coming to my office. So, I’m taking this opportunity to ask people to take half an hour to write down their experiences, and send them to me, or to the inquiry (see details). It is very important and very easy to have your say, so don’t let the opportunity pass you by. All submissions are due on the 27th of May 2005. It is also very important that we make sure the Carr Government knows that we do not want this to become another blame game with the Federal Government. NSW should not be accepting the lame excuse that this is all about money that was taken away. Queensland has a much healthier Dental Health System because it chose to match the funds the federal government had been providing to reduce waiting times. Queensland spends twice the amount that NSW does, on a much smaller population. Significantly, they have every intention of spending even more this year to maintain a decent level of Dental Health. NSW deserves much better than it is getting, and we must make sure we get it sooner rather than later. It just can’t wait any longer. Meanwhile, we are doing our best to make sure that we keep the focus on the issue. Your assistance will help us do that. Yrs, Arthur Chesterfield-Evans (ACE) |
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