Media Statement - 21st November 2007
Cairns will be home to one of the first of Federal Labor’s proposed Defence Family Healthcare Clinics.
The clinics will extend free GP and general dental services to the spouses and dependants of those serving in the Cairns area.
The Cairns clinic will house a GP half of each day five days per week with a nurse all day, and a dentist and a dental nurse all day five days per week. The services will be free for all Defence families.
The proposal is part of a $33.1 million proposal to roll our 12 clinics across Australia and will be expanded if the implementation proves successful.
The scheme will focus on regional and remote defence communities and is aimed at recognising the service of ADF personnel, the sacrifices their families make, and raising Defence Force retention rates.
Australia’s national security will be a first priority for a Rudd Labor Government and taking care of ADF personnel and their families is crucial the defence of our nation.