Australian Bid To Save CDDS Fails
Opposition MPs are backing the government’s new dental scheme after a bid to prevent the closure of the Chronic Dental Disease Scheme failed on Tuesday.
Speaking on Wednesday, Opposition front-bencher Greg Hunt said that Opposition MPs would now support the new dental scheme in absence of another option. Mr Hunt said that as the bid to stop the cessation of the CDDS had failed, MPs would rather support the new dental scheme than support no dental coverage at all.
The government announced that a new $4 billion dental scheme would be introduced to replace the existing Chronic Disease Dental Scheme; Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said that the scheme would enable more people to access dental services, as well as saving the government money. However, Opposition MPs criticised the government because the current scheme is due to finish in December and the new scheme will not be introduced until 2014, leaving thousands of people without access to dental care.
Speaking in parliament, Mr Hunt confirmed that the Opposition would not object to the new dental scheme because they “do not believe that there should be no coverage.”
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