National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Bill 2025

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill), which means it failed.

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes that:

(i) Australians are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis,

(ii) 3 in 10 people delay or avoid seeing the dentist due to cost,

(iii) in 2022-23 there were more than 87,000 potentially preventable hospitalisations due to dental conditions; and

(b) calls on the Government to recognise that the mouth is part of the body and to bring dental healthcare fully into Medicare, starting with an immediate commitment to fund and implement a Senior Dental Benefits Scheme".