Joint media release - Western Sydney women's health roundtable

THE HON SUSSAN LEY MP
DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, SKILLS AND TRAINING
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WOMEN
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FARRER

SENATOR THE HON ANNE RUSTON
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH
SHADOW MINISTER FOR AGED CARE
SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA

MELISSA MCINTOSH MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR WESTERN SYDNEY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENERGY AFFORDABILITY
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR LINDSAY

SENATOR MARIA KOVACIC
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

FEDERAL OPPOSITION MARKS WOMEN’S HEALTH WEEK WITH WOMEN’S HEALTH ROUNDTABLE

Wednesday, 4 September 2024

Women’s health is a priority focus for the Federal Opposition.

Whether it is helping women who live with chronic health conditions or supporting women and families on their fertility journey, the Liberal Party recognises that more work is needed to get the policy settings right.

In line with this commitment to Australian women, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Women, Sussan Ley, and the Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston, co-chaired a Women’s Health Roundtable today, the mid-point of Women’s Health Week. The Roundtable was held in Penrith in the heart of Western Sydney and was attended by Shadow Minister for Western Sydney, Melissa McIntosh MP and Senator Maria Kovacic, who has been appointed to the Parliamentary Inquiries into Rare Cancers and Menopause.

Key themes for the day included menopause, endometriosis, fertility and IVF with medical professionals, allied health representatives, and key health peak bodies participating and sharing their insights.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Women, Sussan Ley said she was proud to join Anne Ruston, Melissa McIntosh and Maria Kovacic, to convene the important policy roundtable focusing on women’s health.

“Whether it is women living with chronic health conditions, or a couple on their fertility journey, I know for too many women healthcare is not working as well as it should and government policy needs to be updated – that is what this roundtable is all about,” the Deputy Leader.

“Australian women need to be supported to be able to make choices about how they want to live their lives, and that starts with making sure governments are supporting women with their health.”

Shadow Minister for Health, Senator Anne Ruston said the need for better and more affordable access to quality women’s healthcare is undeniable.

“We want to ensure that women across Australia can access care that is not only affordable, but also understands their experience and needs,” Senator Ruston said.

“The Coalition has already committed $5 million towards reviewing women-specific health items on the MBS and PBS if elected, to ensure affordable access to clinically effective services and treatments. But we know that more must be done to support women’s health.”

“As the Opposition Leader committed in the Budget in Reply, we remain focused on developing policy to ensure the health needs of Australian women are met by our healthcare system. This work builds on our proud record of funding important women’s health initiatives, including our leadership on endometriosis research and support.”

Shadow Minister for Western Sydney, Melissa McIntosh said Western Sydney was experiencing huge population growth and pressure, with major impacts on all forms of infrastructure, including access to quality health care.

“That’s why it was so important to have this roundtable in Penrith today, to talk about important issues of women’s health, but also with an added focus on Western Sydney, affordability and access.”

Senator for New South Wales, Maria Kovacic said Australia’s health system needs to do far more to address the unique medical needs of women, who are too often left to navigate acute and chronic health challenges alone.

“Through my work on the Parliamentary Inquiries into Rare Cancers and Menopause, I’ve heard firsthand about the gaps in our system and the profound impact this is having on Australian women’s lives. Today’s roundtable is a vital step towards addressing these issues and driving the necessary reforms.”

The Coalition has a proud record of funding many important women’s health initiatives during our time in Government. We laid the groundwork for this government’s work in this space.

We have welcomed many announcements from this Government, including investment in longer consultations for women suffering from endometriosis and pelvic pain, which they have acknowledged builds on the significant work of the Coalition in this critical area. But more needs to be done to support women’s health.

The Coalition will continue to listen to stakeholders and patients in this space and develop policy in this area, particularly in primary care and for menopause and perimenopause.