CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr CONAGHAN (Cowper) (09:54): I rise today to call on the Albanese government to reverse the decision to defund Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia's specialist nursing services. This ill-considered flick of a red pen is putting the health and wellbeing of Australian men at risk, particularly those living in regional communities, like mine. In Cowper, prostate cancer accounts for one in three cancer diagnoses in men.

That's almost 500 men a year just in my electorate. In Coffs Harbour and Bellingen, prostate cancer rates are a staggering 50 per cent higher than the national average. These aren't just statistics; these are our fathers, brothers, husbands and sons.

Last year alone, PCFA specialist nurses across the Mid North Coast delivered almost 3,500 consultations and supported 373 newly diagnosed men. That's 3,500 occasions when somebody facing one of life's most frightening diagnoses had a specialist nurse in their corner—someone who truly understood what they were going through and was able to instantly provide the support required for the best possible outcome for each patient.

These are patients like my constituent Dean. Dean was diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2022 and underwent surgery in July 2024. What followed was a difficult recovery both physically and mentally.

Dean suffered chronic pelvic floor and abdominal pain amongst other debilitating side effects and an intense sense of isolation and depression. But Dean was lucky; he wasn't abandoned. PCFA specialist nurses checked on him, guided him through his treatment options and, when his recovery stalled, connected him with specialist counselling.

These are Dean's own words: Without them, I would have had nowhere to turn for that level of integrated support. Being able to talk with someone who understands and has hands-on experience is invaluable. I could not have gone through it without their support.

PCFA has spent almost 15 years developing the specialist training, clinical networks and evidence based standards underpinning this service. You cannot simply transfer this type of experience to another agency. So, on behalf of the men in my electorate and right across the country, I ask the Minister for Health and Ageing: please don't replace a proven service with an unproven alternative.