TOM CONNELL, SKY NEWS: Dan, talk to us about the risk of bowel cancer. For those aged 25 to 54, I think it's now the leading cause of cancer death in Australia. What do we know about why that's happening?
DAN REPACHOLI MP, SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MEN'S HEALTH: So, what we do know is that there are not enough of these test kits being sent back to government. Only 41.7 per cent of those test kits that get sent out to you when you're over 45 years of age are returned. This is the only time, Tom, that you can send a load of crap back to government that might save your life.
So, we need to make sure people are getting onto that and doing it. If they have irregular bowel movements, if they're low on iron, like a lady I met today who told me her story. She's 36 years of age and has just come through bowel cancer, but still has to undergo continual checking. She had symptoms for six months and was unsure what they were because she didn't know what they all meant.
We need to make sure we're building awareness around this because, unfortunately, we're losing around 101 lives every week to bowel cancer. If that doesn't tell you to get out there, check your bowels and send that bit of crap back to government, I don't know what does.
CONNELL: It seems like every cancer prevention message comes back to early detection. At 45 you get the test kit automatically, but people think, "I'm okay, I won't worry about it." They put it off, and that's the key factor. Once you see it, don't put it on the to-do list – just do it.
REPACHOLI: That's exactly right. You can also speak to your GP and get that kit from the age of 40, so have that conversation with your doctor.
We've got to make sure people are having those conversations. If you're low on iron, and many other things, as a bloke, a bloke should never be anaemic. We should never be low on iron in that space. If that is an issue, get to your GP straight away and have that conversation because it means something is wrong.
You can also get that test kit from your local pharmacy. Any pharmacy has them. You can pick one up and send that bit of crap back.
CONNELL: Diet is always cited as a key factor. I remember you going on that burger tour. Does that not quite fit in with the advice? Too much fried food and red meat isn't good. Was the burger tour one burger a week? Were you being responsible with your diet?
REPACHOLI: Everything in moderation is key here, Tom. As we all know, sometimes we indulge in what we love a little too often occasionally, but everything in moderation is the way to go.
It's about making sure you're looking after your diet as best you can. How that burger tour actually worked with the calendar was that I smashed about 12 burgers in one week because we didn't time it very well. That was probably a bit too much, but we got there in the end.
CONNELL: Alright, so not a good week of dieting, but not a regular occurrence.
We're in Parliament House, so we'd better talk a little politics. Are you the Labor MP most likely to face strong competition from One Nation? How do you approach that challenge?
REPACHOLI: Tom, I'd like to say we've been the trendsetter for the last two elections in this area because I've been told for two election cycles now that I'm going to lose to One Nation.
We'll continue to fight One Nation all the way. Our area is the only seat in the country that's two-party preferred with One Nation. As I said, we've been fighting them since 2019 and we'll continue to do that.
What we'll also do is make sure we're out there talking about all the good things we're delivering for the Australian public and for the people of the Hunter, Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, Medicare Mental Health Centres, and the Singleton Bypass, which is going to stop the traffic jam on one of the busiest roads in New South Wales. Up until about 6:03 in the morning, traffic is running straight through Singleton and into the region where we have some of the most productive mines in the country.
CONNELL: Do you see your role as directly countering some of the rhetoric from One Nation?
REPACHOLI: I've been taking that on for four years now. I've been fighting this battle and loving it all the way.
I'll continue to fight that battle because I'm out there talking to everyday Aussies in the Hunter all the time, having conversations with them on street corners, at their front doors, and throughout the community. I'll continue to do that and show people exactly what we're delivering for everyday Australians.
CONNELL: We had a sandwich competition before. Another health announcement today, so I guess I'll see you at the next one.
REPACHOLI: I look forward to it, Tom, and I also look forward to flogging you again because I did beat you last time. We'll see what we can do for the next lunchbox showdown.
CONNELL: I've been practising. Thanks, Dan.
REPACHOLI: Good work. Cheers, buddy.