Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026
Ms CLUTTERHAM (Sturt) (11:54): The last parliamentary sitting week in September coincided with Women's Health Week. The theme for this year's Women's Health Week was 'Say yes to you' and was about encouraging women to make their health and wellbeing a priority. Too often women put their health and wellbeing last.
Too often women's health has been put last by governments. Too often women's health has been put last, or even dismissed, by the medical profession or by the education system that trains our future doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. Women's health needs are complex.
They are unique. Women are not 'small men'. Women are women who come in all shapes and sizes, who require both an active and meaningful response to their health needs and who deserve a proactive and sustainable approach to their unique health needs.
In May 2025, I joined the federal health minister and the dedicated and caring staff at Repromed on Fullarton Road in my electorate of Sturt to make critical announcements in relation to women's health. For the first time in 30 years, new categories of contraceptives would be listed on the PBS. That's 30 years!
Slinda, a contraceptive that for some women is their only option, would be listed on the PBS, reducing its prohibitive cost of over $300. We know that, thanks to this government's cheaper medicines legislation, that cost will reduce even further to $25 from 1 January 2026. On that same day it was also announced that Pergoveris, a fertility drug, would be listed on the PBS too, making it more affordable for women and their partners wanting to start or expand their family.
Contraceptives and fertility drugs being listed on the same day underscores the unique and complex nature of women's health. Women's health matters. This government knows that women's health is an economic imperative as well as a health imperative.
The weekend following the Albanese Labor government's announcement of record investments into women's health led to some great conversations whilst I was doorknocking. The announcement was embraced by women—and it was embraced by men, because, like women, men know that, when women are healthy, families are better off, the economy is more productive and there is more contribution to the community and to our country.
When women cannot work or cannot work as much as they want or need to because of health issues, productivity suffers and women are disadvantaged. One of the biggest causes of absence from work or reluctance to participate in society is pelvic pain. Pelvic pain is complex and is often not caused by just the one thing.
Factors that lead to pelvic pain are interwoven like a spider's web and take time and investment to untangle. Two weeks ago I met with Dr Alecia Macrow, a pelvic pain specialist working at Thrive Family Practice, one of the 22 federal government funded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics that have been established under the Albanese Labor government. Dr Macrow explained to me that a holistic, whole-of-person approach is required to identify the causes of and the treatment plan for pelvic pain and endometriosis, ideally supported by a practice nurse, practice pharmacist and practice physiotherapist.
This takes time, this takes patience and this takes tenacity—and it takes government support. The approach Dr Macrow and her team take is to do what they can to achieve an efficient and accurate diagnosis, to make sense of symptoms and to put together an individualised plan. Dr Macrow and Thrive's approach works, and this is why they have a six-month wait list.
This is too long if you can't work, can't function and can't participate in society and live a full and meaningful life because of pelvic pain, like Lucie, a resident of Sturt, who wrote to me about her daughter out of desperation. Six months is too long. So on 9 February this year the Australian government announced an expansion of the endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics over three years to 2028.
The expansion will include funding for 11 new clinics, bringing the total number of clinics nationally to 33. The existing 22 clinics will receive an extension of funding to continue providing specialist care and support. Urgent care clinics, including one soon to be developed in my electorate of Sturt; more medicines; cheaper medicines; funded menopause and perimenopause health assessments; and more pelvic pain and endometriosis clinics so that women don't have to wait years for a diagnosis and to start treatment—this government says to women: 'Say yes to you.
We will keep listening to you and providing dedicated health services for the benefit of the community.'