Page 4963 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 26 October 2011
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Wednesday, 26 October 2011
MR SPEAKER (Mr Rattenbury) took the chair at 10 am and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.
Health—breast cancer awareness
DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) (10.02): I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) notes:
(a) that October is Pink Ribbon month, which seeks to raise national awareness of breast cancer;
(b) breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer amongst Australian women, accounting for 27 percent of all cancers diagnosed in 2007;
(c) the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia increased from 5,291 in 1982 to 12,567 in 2007;
(d) that events have been held around the ACT to raise awareness of breast cancer and raise valuable funds for research and treatment;
(e) that early detection and screening programs are vitally important to assist in the fight against breast cancer and that BreastScreen ACT provided more than 11,666 screens in the ACT in 2010/11;
(f) the BreastScreen ACT target is to screen 60 percent of women aged between 50 and 69 years of age in the preceding 24 months, with a current achievement rate of 53 percent of women in the target group;
(g) that due to the skill and commitment of Capital Region Cancer Service staff, the percentage of treatment times for radiation therapy patients who commence treatment within standard timeframes has improved to 99.8 percent for the last financial year; and
(h) the importance of responsible investment in additional accommodation and treatment services to ensure that current cancer services are able to meet expected demand in the future; and
(2) Acknowledges and extends thanks to all of those involved in making Pink Ribbon month in the ACT such a success.
October is pink ribbon month—a time to come together as a community to raise funds for research into and treatment of breast cancer and a time also to reflect on the impact that cancer has on the lives of individuals affected, on their families, friends and workplaces, and on the community generally. It is appropriate that this Assembly, elected by our community to speak and act for it in so many ways, also takes the time
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