Real action to expand health and dental care for ADF members and their families
31-July-2010
The Coalition recognises the special sacrifices made by Defence families and will take real action to boost medical and dental services available to Defence personnel and their families.
A Coalition Government will provide $77.5 million towards the expansion of free basic medical and dental care to the family members of full-time Australian Defence Force personnel at or in close proximity to Defence establishments across the country.
Before the last election, Labor promised to invest $33 million to establish 12 Defence Family Healthcare Clinics that would provide free GP and dental services to families of serving ADF members at Defence bases.
Instead, the Rudd-Gillard Government implemented only a trial service at just eight locations and failed to deliver a single Defence Family Healthcare Clinic – another Rudd-Gillard broken promise. Labor’s trial currently covers only around one quarter of ADF dependents.
The Coalition believes that medical and dental services for ADF dependents should be available to all ADF members and their families, not just a few, as is the case under the current ‘trial’ programme.
This initiative will also be an attractive measure that will boost ADF recruitment and retention.
The Coalition will work with organisations such as the Defence Families Association in the implementation of this commitment, which is a key element of the Coalition’s real action plan to support ADF personnel and their families.
