Biggest Morning Tea Has $12 Million Target for Cancer

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PDF printable version of Biggest Morning Tea Has $12 Million Target for Cancer (PDF 15 KB)

13 May 2010

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea – one of the Cancer Council’s leading fund-raising events – came to Parliament House today.

All through this month similar events are being held around Australia in offices, shops, on worksites and in private homes, with a fund-raising target for this year of $12 million.

The Rudd Government supports the vital work undertaken by Cancer Councils nationally, and at the state and territory levels. Cancer is Australia’s leading burden of disease and has been targeted as a National Health Priority Area.

Just last month the Government announced a comprehensive package aimed at reducing smoking, the leading cause of lung cancer as well as a number of other cancers and health problems.

The money raised from our decision to lift the tobacco excise by 25 per cent will provide an extra $5 billion and every cent of which will be invested in better health and hospitals.

The Government will legislate to ensure cigarettes are sold in plain packaging – removing one of the last frontiers for tobacco advertising, and will also move to restrict Australian internet advertising of tobacco products.

At the same time, the Government will provide an additional $27.8 million for new, hard-hitting anti-smoking campaigns, targeting hard-to-reach groups.

These measures are in addition to the record $2 billion provided in the 2009-10 Federal Budget towards building a world-class cancer care system in Australia. This includes $560 million for a national network of best-practice cancer centres aimed at closing the gap in outcomes for cancer patients in the rural and regional Australia.

Success is being achieved in the fight against cancer. Survival rates have improved dramatically for many cancers in the past 20 years, with more than 60 per cent of all cancer patients alive five years after their diagnoses.

This is high by world standards, but much more remains to be done. “That is why I commend the work of the Cancer Council, of this morning tea and all the others that will be taking place around Australia over the remainder of this month,” said Minister Roxon.

For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220