Dental health a deal-breaker for new coalition government in Australia
Dental health was a key factor in the negotiation process between the Labour and Green parties, it has emerged.
The Green Party had included a new multi-billion dollar dental health initiative as part of their election manifesto and they were keen to push it during negotiations with Julia Gillard’s Labour Party last week.
The Labour Party agreed to honour the policy in an agreement, which was signed last Wednesday; the government will now have to budget for the new system and find a way of raising the money to pay for a suitable dental healthcare system.
Many of the independent candidates, who will now have power in the government as a result of the inconclusive election result, have also backed the new dental policy.
The Green’s plan for a multi-billion dollar universal dental care system has been welcomed by dental experts and patients across the country. Australia’s current system has come under constant criticism in recent years, as provision is not up to standard and some patients are being forced to wait months, sometimes years, for an appointment with a dentist. Past governments have come under fire for ignoring the problems and failing to include dental care in health policies.
The parties will now work together to find an effective means of improving the current dental care system.
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