“Kerry Bartlett” dental school
May 10, 2007

Bob Debus, Labor’s candidate for Macquarie, today criticised Tony Abbott for his arrogance in suggesting the newly announced dental clinic at Charles Sturt University be called the “Kerry Bartlett dental school”.

Responding to a question from Kerry Bartlett during Question Time on Wednesday, Abbott first pondered whether the dental school should be named after Peter Costello or himself, before settling on the “Kerry Bartlett dental school”.

“This ridiculous exchange demonstrated once again that the Howard Government are more interested in big noting themselves than in actually tackling the dental crisis in this country,” said Mr Debus.

“This sort of carry-on shows the lack of respect the Minister has for the people of Macquarie and their often desperate need for better dental care.

It is disrespectful of the hard work that the university – and the local communities it serves - have done in getting the proposal for the dental school this far.”

Labor has welcomed the new dental clinic at Charles Sturt University, but has been highly critical of the Government’s intention to expand the failing chronic disease program.

“After axing Labor’s Commonwealth Dental Health Program in 1996, and eleven years of playing the blame game and denying that dental care is their responsibility, the Howard Government executed a spectacular backflip on Budget night and finally directed some funding towards dental care,” said Mr Debus. “Unfortunately, the majority of the money is being poured into a failing program.”

Mr Debus acknowledged that the program would be welcomed by the select people who met the strict criteria of a dental condition affecting their chronic disease, but said it would do little to tackle Australia’s dental crisis.

“The extension of this program will do almost nothing for families in Macquarie who are among the 650,000 Australians nation wide facing long public dental waiting lists. And it will do nothing to make dental services more affordable and accessible.”

Mr Debus said that Labor would re-establish a Commonwealth Dental Program and make dental care more accessible to working families.