The Member for Warrringah has done it again.  On ABC TV last night the Federal Minister for Health declared firmly that dental care for “low income” people was not his problem; the States are responsible for such things.  The main reason people who can’t afford to have painful and debilitating conditions treated are in serious trouble is that when the Howard Government came to office it abolished the $350 million Commonwealth Dental Scheme.  For the last 11 years the number of sufferers sitting on waiting lists has climbed to the point where some of them are looking at a four-year wait before they can see a dentist. As many of them are aged pensioners, death often ends the pain rather than a dentist

Former GP turned Federal Liberal MP Mal Washer is among the backbenchers in the Howard Governmant who think this neglect of the disadvantaged is not only disgraceful but dangerous. Dr Washer points out: “If you’ve got dental ill health or poor oral hygiene with oral infection you have a much greater risk of pneumonia and of heart attacks, of infection on prosthetic joints and on your heart valves. That affects the cost to the Federal taxpayer.”  Not only is it bad medicine, it actually costs a lot of money.  You’d think even John Howard could appreciate that.

There is a lot of boasting from Peter Costello at the moment about yet another Budget surplus.  Anyone can save money if they refuse to spend it on the necessities. 
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