MOTIONS
Ms KARA COOK (Bonner) (10:24): I move: That this House: (1) notes that World Heart Day will be held on 29 September 2026, raising awareness of cardiovascular disease and the importance of prevention, early detection and treatment; (2) recognises that: (a) cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of illness and death among Australian women; (b) more than half a million Australian women are living with heart, stroke, and vascular conditions; (c) women can experience different symptoms and risk factors for cardiovascular disease; and (d) women's heart health has historically been under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-researched; (3) welcomes the Government's action to improve women's heart health, including: (a) making cardiovascular health the first priority of the Ministerial Expert Panel on Women's Health; (b) working with women, clinicians, researchers and advocates to improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care; and (c) supporting access to Medicare-funded Heart Health Checks; and (4) encourages all Australians this World Heart Day to know the warning signs, understand their risk and prioritise their heart health.
Nearly 10 years ago I awoke to an early morning call from my dad. My mum was in an ambulance on her way to emergency; she had suffered from heart failure. It's not the kind of call anyone ever wants to receive.
My mum was in her early 60s and, thankfully, she did recover after a longer stay in hospital. But that morning changed how I think about heart health, and since then I've made sure to talk to my doctor about my own heart and see what I can do to look after it, even at a younger age. Heart health is a women's health issue, and it deserves our attention.
For too long heart disease has been seen as a men's issue, yet cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of illness and death for Australian women. Around one in four female deaths are attributed to it, and more than half a million women are living with a condition affecting their heart or blood vessels. Women's heart health has been underrecognised, underdiagnosed and underresearched.
Chest pain is common in women and men, but women may also experience nausea, breathlessness, unusual fatigue or discomfort in their back or jaw. These symptoms are sometimes called atypical, but they are recognised symptoms. When they are missed or dismissed, women can face delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes.
Fellow Queenslander and former Olympian Libby Trickett's recent experience is a powerful reminder of why women's stories matter. In June 2025, just two months after giving birth to her fifth child, Libby suffered a rare SCAD heart attack. Her symptoms were initially thought to be a panic attack, and she didn't learn the cause until months later.
I want to thank Libby for speaking publicly about what has happened to her and raising crucial awareness. By sharing her experience she is helping people understand that serious heart events can affect young women who appear fit and healthy and that women's symptoms must be taken seriously and investigated fully. These inequities are especially stark for our First Nations women and communities.
Rheumatic heart disease is preventable, yet its burden remains devastating. In 2021-22, death rates were almost six times higher for First Nations people than non-Australians and up to 26 times higher for First Nations adults aged 25 to 64. In Doomadgee, a 2023 coronial inquest examined the deaths of three women from rheumatic heart disease.
It found failures in their follow-up care and a health system marked by siloed services, unclear responsibility and a lack of community trust. The ABC reported this year that the number of people in Doomadgee requiring ongoing treatment has risen sharply since 2020. These are not failures of First Nations people; they are failures of systems that must provide timely, coordinated and culturally safe care.
In our recent inquiry into racism, hate and violence directed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, we've heard evidence about systemic racism in health care and how it can undermine trust and fail First Nations Australians. We must take that evidence seriously. Addressing these inequalities is essential to improving heart health for all.
That is why I am proud that the Albanese Labor government has made women's cardiovascular health a national priority. Over the next 12 months we're going to see the Ministerial Expert Panel on Women's Health identify practical ways to improve prevention, early intervention and care. It will consider priority populations and how to strengthen care pathways and workforce capability, drawing on clinical experience as well as women's lived experience.
Her Heart's 2025 survey found that 29 per cent of women have never had formal heart health checks, while 53 per cent said their doctor had never suggested one. Prevention and early detection matter. Through Medicare, eligible Australians aged 45 and over or First Nations people aged 30 and over can access a heart health check with their GP.
Since these checks were introduced in 2019, more than 1.3 million have been provided. In the first six months of this year almost 160,000 were processed, an increase of 32 per cent on the previous year. In my community of Bonner, I know how much accessible and affordable health care matters to local families.
Women who spent years putting everyone else first deserve the chance to look after their own health. World Heart Day, which was marked on 29 September, is a reminder to act, recognise the warning signs, speak with doctors and take our health care seriously. To every Australian woman, my message is very simple: your heart works hard for everyone else; it is time to protect it for you.