Page 2473 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 31 July 2019
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the workplace for diabetes, I note the subtle change that Minister Stephen-Smith has brought forward in her amendment and the reason for that. I do not think it is contentious. I certainly think it is a terrific opportunity to use ACT government agencies to engage people in this conversation in the workplace. Ms Lawder’s story in today’s Canberra Times underlines how opportunistic it can be on some occasions by giving people an easy chance, instead of having a serious, heavy conversation with them; that is a good way to encourage more testing.
I would also be interested to think about ways we can promote diabetes testing and awareness raising beyond the public service and include private businesses, community organisations and industries, through partnerships with sporting organisations and the like. These places where people congregate for other reasons provide a platform to talk to them about other matters. I think they provide terrific opportunities.
We are very pleased to support the motion today and the short amendment from Minister Stephen-Smith. I encourage people to think carefully about this and take it seriously, as it is an important community health issue.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (11.03): I thank Ms Lawder for bringing this important motion to the Assembly today, close to the conclusion of Diabetes Week. I want especially to thank her for telling her own personal story in relation to diabetes. Ms Lawder’s story serves to underscore the importance of diabetes week in raising awareness of what can be a debilitating condition—a condition that is not only a serious health condition but has an annual cost impact on Australia estimated at $14½ billion.
It is the case that diabetes can fly under the radar, in some cases until it is too late. Diabetes Australia has described it as “the epidemic of the 21st century and the biggest challenge confronting Australia’s health system”. With 1.7 million people in Australia having diabetes, almost a third, or almost half a million, of those Australians do not know that they have this condition.
As various speakers have already outlined them, I will not go into the different types of diabetes that people can experience. But it is important to reflect on some of the myths—Mr Assistant Speaker, welcome to the chair; you too can reflect on some of the myths—about diabetes. It is a myth that diabetes is not serious; it is serious. It is a myth that all types of diabetes are the same. It is a myth that you have to be overweight or obese to develop diabetes. It is a myth that you only get type 1 diabetes when you are young and type 2 diabetes when you are old. And it is a myth to say, “There’s no-one in my family who has diabetes so I don’t have anything to worry about.” It is also a myth to think that it is only people who have type 1 diabetes who need to use insulin.
There are many other myths about it. To some extent there is a fear in the community about finding out some things about their health, and we should be doing all that we can to discourage that fear and encourage learning. One of the important things to know about diabetes is that it can be managed effectively. There are many, and improved, ways with new technologies to help with the management of diabetes.
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