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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-11-28 Daily Xml
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World AIDS Day

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:45): This year, World AIDS Day will be held on Saturday 1 December 2018. This awareness day seeks to help inform the community across the world about the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, known as HIV or AIDS. World AIDS Day is a day for the community to show their support for people living with HIV and to celebrate the lives of people who have passed away of AIDS-related conditions or other conditions associated with HIV.

This year's World AIDS Day theme in Australia is 'Everybody Counts'. The aim of this year's community awareness campaign is to encourage all Australians to inform themselves about HIV, to take steps and action to reduce the chance of transmission of HIV by supporting strategies and encouraging and supporting people who live with HIV to fully participate in community life that is free from discrimination and negative community attitudes that can often be experienced by people with HIV.

It is with great sadness that, unfortunately, not all members in this chamber seem to support the aims of World AIDS Day. Earlier this year, the Marshall Liberal government and Treasurer Rob Lucas announced that they will be slashing funding to community programs that support people living with HIV and AIDS. These cuts and closures will have wideranging effects and force the closure of SHINE SA clinics in Davoren Park and Noarlunga and slash funding to support programs for people who are HIV positive.

These cuts to SHINE SA and the support programs that support people who are HIV positive are cruel and they are putting people's lives and wellbeing at risk for the sake of what is not a great deal of money. It is a disgrace when members opposite can stump up $42 million to help build a hotel but cannot adequately fund SHINE SA clinics in Davoren Park and Noarlunga and HIV counselling services in Adelaide. It seems that, in the eyes of Premier Steven Marshall and Treasurer Rob Lucas, unlike the theme for this year's World AIDS Day, not everybody counts. It only counts if you want to stay a night in luxury accommodation at Adelaide Oval.

Well, it is not all bad news. The 2018 HIV in Australia annual surveillance report, produced by the Kirby Institute, has advised that in Australia in 2017 there were 963 new HIV diagnoses. This is the lowest number since 2010, with a 7 per cent decline over the last five years. In addition to this, developments continue to be made in community awareness, prevention, testing and medical advances. As of 1 April this year, pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP—that is, anti-HIV medication taken by a person who does not have HIV to lower their risk of infection—is available on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme.

There is a lot of great work being done in relation to HIV and AIDS, but more can still be done. The federal government should be congratulated on their efforts to list PrEP on the PBS, but unfortunately members opposite do not share the same care or compassion as their federal colleagues and instead choose to cruelly cut the funding to SHINE SA and HIV counselling services in South Australia.

I urge members opposite this World AIDS Day, on Saturday 1 December, to take some time to reflect on what these cuts to HIV counselling services will mean for people living with HIV and AIDS and show their support for a cause to reinstate the necessary funding to them.

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