CHRIS BOWEN MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH
MEMBER FOR MCMAHON
ALICIA PAYNE MP
MEMBER FOR CANBERRA
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP INTERVIEW
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA
WEDNESDAY, 17 JUNE 2020
SUBJECTS: Labor’s commitment for a Yass maternity ward, Greg Hunt’s failure to list critical migraine drug, Kristy McBain’s Health Plan for Eden-Monaro, NSW politics, off-label prescribing.
MEMBER FOR CANBERRA, ALICIA PAYNE: Good afternoon I'm Alicia Payne the Member for Canberra. Today in Question Time I asked the Prime Minister a question about the lack of maternity services in the Yass Valley. And I asked him whether it was acceptable that women in the Yass Valley have to travel getting they have to travel an hour to access maternity services, that numerous women have given birth on the side of the Barton Highway, and whether the Prime Minister thought this was acceptable. And I was absolutely floored by his answer that I would be 'pleased to know that that's why they're upgrading the Barton Highway'.
Now, it would be funny except that this shows the Prime Minister has a complete lack of understanding of the risks to mothers and their babies. And the worry that women in the Yass Valley are facing, families in the Yass Valley, about this long journey to give birth. Any expectant parent knows that an hour to the birth is not - an hour's trip is unacceptable and very worrying. And this is a huge issue for families who are in this in this region. And it can have disastrous consequences for the health of the mothers and the babies, not just through the birth, but afterwards, the trauma of that and the impact on those women is a huge issue.
So on the one hand, we've got Labor and Kristy McBain in Eden-Monaro, we've committed $4.7 million to building a new maternity hospital at Yass, on the other Prime Minister who thinks that the answer to a question about whether it's acceptable for women to give birth beside a highway is to upgrade that highway. It is absolutely outrageous. And I'd like to hand over to Shadow Minister Chris Bowen to talk more.
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH, CHRIS BOWEN: Thanks very much, Alicia. I'll deal with two issues. Firstly, as Alicia said, it was absolutely extraordinary for Alicia to ask the Prime Minister, whether it's acceptable for women from Yass to be giving birth on the side of the road on their trip to Canberra or Goulburn, give birth. And he said that's why we're upgrading the Barton Highway. I mean, what's he proposing birthing lines? Signs with a stalk on it that say 'pull over here to give birth'? It's just extraordinary. And this is a Prime Minister completely out of touch. Last Monday, I recommitted Labor and an Albanese Labor Government to funding a capital upgrade at Yass hospital to build a first class birthing facility, a maternity ward.
Of course we support upgrading the Barton Highway, we've called for it consistently but not so that women can give birth on the side of the road. The way to deal with that is to give Yass, the maternity ward, the birthing facility it needs. That's what Kristy McBain, Anthony Albanese and Labor will do. Scott Morrison clearly has another plan which involves the Barton Highway.
The second matter I'll deal with he said this morning under parliamentary privilege Greg Hunt launched an extraordinary attack on the campaign to have the drug Emgality listed on the PBS. Now Greg Hunt talks a big game when it comes to the PBS, he claims to list every drug that's recommended by the PBAC. He hasn't listed Emgality which was recommended a long time ago. Now, he can justify that. But this morning he accused the company which produces and Emgality, Eli Lilly of engaging in an 'astroturf' campaign. Now astroturf means a vested interest funding and organising campaign which pretends to be a community based campaign. The campaign to get Emgality listed is being led by Migraine Australia who've made it very clear they have not received a dollar from Eli Lilly, and that this is not an astroturf campaign. This is a campaign led by the 400,000 Australians who suffer from chronic migraine who want Emgality listed like Lyn from Orchard Hills who I've met with who said she suffered chronic migraine for 23 years until taking the new drugs and now suffers chronic migraine no more. Greg Hunt needs a two point plan. Firstly apologise to Migraine Australia for his outrageous slur under parliamentary privilege, and secondly, list Emgaloity and give some relief to the 400,000 Australians who suffer from chronic migraines.
Happy to take any questions.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Bowen, Evan Moorhead has reported on branch stacking in New South Wales Labor identified Granville, Guilford areas around your electorate as being part of a problem. What do you think New South Labor needs to do to stamp out that issue?
BOWEN: There were allegations made. The party office referred them to Mr. Moorhead for an investigation. That investigation will report to the administrative committee of the New South Wales branch of the Labor Party and whatever action will ensue from that is a matter entirely for the New South Wales branch. That's the extent of my knowledge of the issue. And I'm sure the New South Wales branch under Bob Nanva's leadership will take all appropriate steps. Branch stacking, wherever it occurs is inappropriate. And wherever allegations are made, they need to be investigated. And that's the process that Bob Nanva has initiated in New South Wales.
JOURNALIST: Should Jodi McKay be taking action against these MPs?
BOWEN: I think this is an organisational issue in the first instance, if there are findings against it in any individual, then that's a different matter. But in the meantime, there's a process, there's party tribunals underway, that's perfectly appropriate, everybody's got the right to put their case, and their defence and that's perfectly appropriate process.
JOURNALIST: Julian Hill this morning again, spoke about off-label prescribing, as he did last week, there's a review now, particularly in the prescribing of antidepressants to under 18 year olds and in correlation to suicide, given the TGA and the FDA have issued warnings. What's your view on that? There are some that have been quite strong that this sort of review and this sort of reporting stigmatises medication for under 18 year olds when they need it and there are other people who say we dole this medication out too freely, what's your personal view?
BOWEN: Look, I think our review is appropriate. I've discussed this with Julian Hill. He's been a very passionate advocate on this issue. And he's made it clear it's based on his personal experience with his family. And, you know, I respect that personal experience, very much the strength of his views, and the passion he's brought to it. He's been good enough to talk me through the issues, and I think he raises important issues. And I think it's appropriate that there's a thorough review of the practise. I don't think to be fair it stigmatises. I think people would understand it's a case by case basis and what doctors prescribe is based on their best understanding of an individual's needs. So I wouldn't accept that it stigmatises any particular action. But these are very serious matters. And for the proper organisations to conduct thorough inquiries, I think it's perfectly appropriate.
JOURNALIST: Do you think we are over-prescribing too much particularly antidepressants given Australia is one of the highest in the world?
BOWEN: I think that's a matter for the experts to examine, frankly. Anything else? All right, thanks very much. Thank you.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACTS:
LIZ FITCH (BOWEN) 0424 512 512
TASMAN VAUGHAN (PAYNE) 0435 933 313
