Mr HUNT (Flinders—Minister for Health and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Cabinet) (14:43): I thank the member for Higgins, who comes to this place with one of the most distinguished medical careers of anybody who has ever graced the House of Representatives. She has been a medical researcher and a paediatrician at national level. There are many people on both sides who come with great medical careers, but hers is one of the finest. One of the things she has reminded me of recently is that, as a paediatrician, she knew in 2011 many patients and parents who were unable to receive the medicine Symbicort despite the fact that it had been approved by the PBAC and a pricing agreement had been reached with the government. The reason this medicine for severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was not available was that the then government ran out of money and refused to list it on the PBS. Dr Freelander interjecting— The SPEAKER: Member for Macarthur. Mr HUNT: As a consequence, her patients—real patients with whom she, as a paediatrician, had to deal on a frequent basis—were unable to access that medicine. Fortunately, this latest round includes a new medicine for COPD, which is being listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It also includes other very important medicines such as Buvidal. Buvidal is a medicine which is being made available to help people who have opioid addiction get themselves off that opioid addiction. It's a substitute and it's a pathway for people to reduce, eliminate and ultimately overcome opioid addiction. It has potential impacts for 110,000 Australians who face this catastrophic condition, and we will be making it available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for free, which is something we do because this will ultimately save lives and protect lives. In addition to that, we are making a medicine available for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, in particular for patients who have Philadelphia chromosome-positive indications. This medicine, Sprycel, would otherwise cost over $50,000. I had the pleasure and the privilege of meeting Michael Clout. In 2011 Michael was given only a brief period to live. He was able to access Sprycel through clinical trials and subsequently through compassionate access. This medicine, which he said he would never have been able to afford on his own, has now been made available to all other patients in Australia with this particular variation of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It's now on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It's available to patients. It's about saving lives and protecting lives, which is ultimately what you can only do when you have a budget and the capacity to pay for it.