Wednesday, 26 August 2026

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (16:31): I move:

That the petition be taken into consideration.

Every year in Victoria thousands of men hear the same three words: ‘You have cancer.’ Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Victorian men – one in six will face it – and yet if you ask most people to name a colour, a ribbon, a symbol, the room goes silent. Ask the same question about breast cancer and the answer comes back before you have finished asking. That gap between what we know and what we notice is what brings this petition before our Parliament today.

Awareness is not a small thing dressed up as a big one. It is the difference between a symptom mentioned early and a symptom ignored too long, between a family with time to fight and a family caught flat-footed. Awareness costs nothing to give and everything to go without. The petitioners have put forward an idea that is simple, sound and, if I may say so, rather clever. They are asking our sporting codes, the AFL and Cricket Victoria, to hold blue matches in the same proud tradition as the pink matches that have rightly done so much for breast cancer awareness. Picture it: a stadium washed in blue, players wearing it on their sleeves, commentators weaving it through their broadcasts and somewhere in the crowd a child turning to a father, a grandfather, an uncle and asking, ‘What’s it all about?’ One conversation sparked in a grandstand might outdo a decade of pamphlets gathering dust in a waiting room.

The petition asks something of us too, and it is not too much to ask: a line in a newsletter, a word at a community event, a conversation with a local football club – small tasks multiplied by every person in every electorate in this state. And they become something larger, a message reaching every corner of Victoria carried by the very people Victorians already trust to speak for them. Let me be plain about the size of this request, because it is modest by design. Nobody is asking for a new department, a new taskforce or a new line item buried in next year’s budget. This is a request for something simpler and, in its own way, harder to legislate: a shift in culture, a willingness to say out loud what has for too long been said in whispers, if it was said at all.

Before I go on, though, I want to pause and thank an organisation that lives this culture and seeks this cultural shift every day – it does not just talk about it: the Ringwood Prostate Cancer Support Group. Led by Andrew Blackwell and Peter Stanley, serving as secretary, this group and its members, present in the chamber today, do the quiet, patient work this petition is really about. They sit with the men and the partners and the families of the newly diagnosed. They walk families through what comes next. They make certain nobody in their community faces this disease alone, in silence or in the dark. To Andrew, to Peter and to every member of the Ringwood Prostate Cancer Support Group, who have raised the bar so high, including my own awareness, and who give up their time so freely, that is advocacy at its most honest and Victoria and Victorians are better for it.

This petition asks for very little and offers a great deal in return – a conversation that might otherwise never have happened but that might just save a life. I commend this petition to the house, and I ask every member here to answer its call. Reach out to your sporting codes and speak with the people you represent plainly, warmly, intelligently, in an educated way and without a moment’s hesitation about prostate cancer and men’s health. I commend the petition to the house.

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria) (16:36): I rise today to talk about the importance of raising awareness and having conversations about prostate health and about the way in which we can and should encourage people to understand how to have conversations about prostate health; how to identify any issues, abnormalities or concerns; how to listen to their bodies; and how to get access to information that may well end up saving their lives. As Mr McGowan has just put so well, education, information and awareness raising are at the heart of better health outcomes for anybody with a prostate – indeed for anybody who may need to be careful and attuned to changes in their bodies. We are getting better when it comes to colorectal cancer and when it comes to breast cancer.

In talking about anything from cardiac disease through to skin cancer we are becoming more aware. We are also becoming more aware of prostate cancer and of any changes and abnormalities that should in fact warrant a conversation with a health professional. Routine health checks are essential. Understanding any family history of prostate cancer or vulnerabilities is essential, as it is for any other cancer or chronic disease susceptibility. Talking to your GP about PSA testing is, again, absolutely essential, but it is this awareness raising and education that is often the catalyst for these conversations to happen. This is where the link between sport and health is absolutely essential.

I have spoken in this place many times and I have spoken publicly many times about my personal connection to prostate cancer and prostate cancer awareness and education. My late brother Patrick was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 39. That is an incredibly rare diagnosis for somebody of his age, and he died at 42. He, as I have said many times, rewrote the medical books when it came to the aggressive nature of his cancer – the way that it took off and the way that it consumed him. As I have said to so many people over the years since 2017 when he passed away, nobody ever died from embarrassment. People need to get checks and need to have conversations so that testing can occur and so that treatment can be provided, because where treatment is provided the survival rates are really, really good. Where early detection occurs, the support can be provided not only for people to get the medical attention that they need but also to get the psychological and wraparound and whole-person support that make for better chances of recovery.

This is where it is a particularly difficult conversation for men to have. The idea of vulnerability is something which, again, can often be an inhibiting factor in being prepared to talk about something which is often an area of embarrassment and often shame. The very situation, the very place of the prostate, between the bladder and the rectum, is an area of physicality that we do not like to talk about. Again, this is about pushing back against that aversion, and providing that level of awareness is one way that we can actually dismantle some of that hesitation. If you are not going to do it for yourself, do it for the person who loves you most in the world, do it for your partner or for your kids, do it for your friends or your workmates, do it for your dog – do it so that you hang around.

This is where a petition that calls for community engagement, that calls for those connections to be made and sustained, including through sport and through community context, whether it is a men’s shed, a community organisation, a school, a sporting club or a major event, is part of a succession of ways, a continuum of ways, that we can ensure that the next time somebody stops to think about why it is that their body does not feel quite right they may just extend that into a conversation with their doctor. So I would urge everybody to continue to talk with constituents, communities and community groups about the way in which we can better support awareness of prostate health and better support that next step that might be taken – to seek access to testing – and in the process, potentially, to ensure that lives are saved.

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (16:41): I thank Mr McGowan for bringing this important issue to the Parliament today and the community members whose passion and advocacy have seen over 2000 signatures made on this petition. I know it takes a lot of work and particularly many voluntary hours to get this sort of thing to happen. As we have already heard, prostate cancer is a significant public health issue. In fact, as far as cancers go, it is the second-highest killer of Australian men, with 4000 dying annually each year and 29,000 being diagnosed. While prostate cancer is more common in older people, rates in young men are growing, and alarmingly, the risk of premature death from early onset and late detection is higher for this group than for the older population. I want to acknowledge Ms Shing sharing that personal story, which I think highlights this growing and important issue.

Members of this chamber would be aware that I am a strong advocate for proper investment in preventative health measures and in early screening, including for cancer, and prostate cancer is no different. We know that timely screening for at-risk population groups increases the chance of cancers being discovered before any symptoms have appeared, leading to simpler treatments and better survival rates. So it is very welcome that earlier this month Australia’s national clinical practice guidelines for the early detection of prostate cancer were actually updated. The new framework places Australia as a leader on the global stage for screening guidelines that balance the need for early detection and the importance of having the right people tested at the right time. With these updates, the need for timely screening for those with significant family history and genetic risk has been made clearer, and importantly, there is greater emphasis on shared decision-making between patients and their clinicians.

Unfortunately, despite the advances being made in early detection and treatment, men in regional and remote Australia remain 24 per cent more likely to die as a result of prostate cancer compared to those living in metro areas. In western Victoria, for example, diagnosis is significantly lower than the Australian average, and as a result mortality is also significantly higher. So, as this petition implores, along with early detection, community awareness is of increasing importance. In reality the two go hand in hand.

While I am strongly supportive of the petitioners’ request for what is I think a very sensible measure – having sporting codes do more to normalise conversations about prostate cancer – there are actually so many people in our community who can and should be doing their part. For example, workplaces could encourage greater work–life balance and give employees time off to go to those appointments and get checked as often as is needed, pharmacies could distribute fact sheets and local media could celebrate the hard work of local support groups.

It would be remiss of me not to give a shout-out to some of those organisations, big and small, who are dedicated to supporting those impacted by this cancer, in particular the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, the Cancer Council Victoria and, importantly, in my home patch, the Geelong Prostate Cancer Support Group. They are one of the most active support groups in the country, passionately supporting men and their families, and I have been lucky enough to see firsthand some of the brilliant work that they do. So thank you to them and thank you to all the petitioners. I commend this petition to the house.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (16:44): I also rise to speak in support of Mr McGowan’s petition. Others have spoken very eloquently about why we should be doing this, and I am just delighted to see the contributions across the chamber in relation to support of this petition and what Mr McGowan is bringing forward or suggesting. Just like Ms Shing, in five days time it is the anniversary of my late brother, who died of prostate cancer. There is hardly a day goes by when I do not think of what he contributed, what he and his family have done and how it has been a huge loss in our lives, given he was too young also – not as young as Ms Shing’s brother, but too young nevertheless. Our brothers are two of the 800 Victorian men who will die from prostate cancer every year. Seven thousand are diagnosed.

There is so much being done and there are many good things that are being done in many areas of health, and as Dr Mansfield just said, there is so much more that can be done in bringing awareness. I want to thank those friends and people that I know that, through Movember, often talk of Will. They talk about awareness. It is not just mental health, it is about men’s health: make sure you do not ignore signs, and go and get your prostate checked. I also want to shout out Bill Guest. Bill Guest is a great Victorian, somebody who was diagnosed just after Will. He has been a great champion and ambassador for the Australian Prostate Centre. He is a Melbourne businessman – a very generous Melbourne businessman – who is very passionate about this area. I want to lend my support to all of these Victorians who are doing this work. There is much more that can be done, and I again want to say thank you to Mr McGowan for bringing this important matter to the attention of the Parliament today.

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (16:47): I would like to thank Mr McGowan and the petitioners for bringing this petition before Parliament, and I would like to give a shout-out to one organisation in particular. In just under a month thousands of people will participate in the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia’s Long Run charity campaign. This is their annual fundraising event where participants run or walk 72 kilometres to raise money for prostate cancer research and support. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australian men, and despite one in five of these men developing anxiety or depression as a result of their diagnosis, 72 per cent of them will not seek any help for it. The Long Run charity event raises both awareness and money to help support the work of the over 100 support groups that exist around Victoria. Thank you to the people that participate in this event and to the volunteers that work with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia to support men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their families.

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (16:48): I also rise to speak in support of Mr McGowan’s petition and also just thank Ms Shing and Ms Crozier for sharing those stories – I had no idea about what had gone on there – and also Dr Mansfield. It is a good one where everyone stands together on something. Like many people have said, prostate cancer is one of the biggest killers of men and one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers.

I clearly remember when I first started work as a chiropractor and I was fresh out of uni. A guy came in. He had a consistent, deep lower back pain – that is how he explained it to me. I went through the normal tests and checks and sent him out to get some radiology done. I remember it as clear as day. He brought it in in a huge envelope. I flicked on the big light board, tucked the films up, and straightaway I saw a spine that was covered in all of these bright white dots everywhere – sclerotic lesions over the whole lumbar spine. Straightaway I knew what had happened, because prostate cancer left unchecked and untreated, if you do not know it is there, can metastasise, and one of the common places it metastasises to is the lumbar spine and the pelvis. As I was staring at it, I thought, ‘This guy has no idea what he’s looking at,’ and I did not really know how to approach it. I just said to him, ‘How have you been feeling in general?’ And more things opened up. Then I said, ‘Have you been up to date with all your check-ups?’ And he said, ‘What sorts of check-ups?’ I said, ‘Have you had a prostate cancer check?’ And he said no. He said, ‘I’m here for lower back pain, none of that stuff.’ I said, ‘All right,’ and I went through and I explained it. It turned out he had had this lower back pain for a very long time, but he was just, he said, in his words, being a typical male, not coming in and getting it checked. He just pushed through the pain, but when he decided to get something checked it was because the pain was getting worse at night and stopping him from sleeping. That is one of the biggest red flags that you can hear when somebody is coming in for an issue like this. This guy had a relative that had had prostate cancer and been diagnosed before the age of 60. He had all of these risk factors, but he had no idea that that could even be a possibility – absolutely no idea.

There is so much that needs to be done in terms of early screening with cancers in general, because like Dr Mansfield said, yes, they are more common after a certain age, but these cancers are becoming more and more prevalent at a younger age. We have to make sure that we are keeping up with these issues because, like Ms Shing said, if the issue is detected early and people can get treatment early, you have a much better outcome. I just think that this is such an important issue that needs to be raised.

My two best friends went through breast cancer one and two years ago, and it was just absolutely horrific what they went through. One has come through and recovered and is doing really well, and one passed away. It was just tragic, but it does also go to show that there are no questions around awareness with breast cancer. There is so much we still need to do around early detection, about getting the age of screening to be lowered because these cancers are coming in lower and lower. When you compare that, we do not have those days where everyone wears blue to the football or the netball and these types of issues. I think that it is such an important topic and one that for everyone in the community, really, it would be great if they got on board and just supported it.

I also want to thank Andrew, Peter and the Ringwood Prostate Cancer Support Group. One thing when Neale Daniher passed away that everyone spoke about, including Emma Vulin in the other place, was the amazing support that he provided to people when they were first diagnosed. He would go to their house, he would sit with them and he would have conversations about what to expect and what supports were available. So many people have spoken about how that was such a life-changing conversation, where all of a sudden they knew that a burden shared is a burden halved. I believe that is exactly what this group are doing. I just want to absolutely extend our sincere thanks to the Ringwood Prostate Cancer Support Group and others that do things like it. I commend the motion to the house.

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (16:53): I will perhaps start with a thanks to the Ringwood Prostate Cancer Support Group, because without their work and without them none of us would be having this conversation today. If greater awareness was what we sought out to achieve, then I think today’s contributions show that we are on the right path to success.

I particularly want to thank Ms Shing. I express my condolences but also heartfelt appreciation for your contribution and obviously your love for Patrick, who was taken way too soon, as you have already said to the chamber today. I am just sorry you are not Minister for Health anymore because I know how passionate you would have been in that space, but there is much more work to do in the years ahead, I know, in any case, in any position you ever hold.

Likewise to Dr Mansfield for your continued advocacy in the space of health, no matter what it is – men’s, women’s, children’s – it was beautiful to hear your contribution, and I thank you for that today.

Likewise, Ms Crozier, my heartfelt thanks, love and appreciation for everything that you contributed and for the life of Will. I know that every day is a battle for all of us who lose a loved one when it is a brother or sister. It is particularly timely this week as I visited and attended the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha function today, which talked about the connection between brothers and sisters, so it was apt perhaps to hear those two contributions from you and Member Shing today.

Mr Limbrick, also, thank you for your contribution. That was appreciated because, having spent almost four years in this place, I am conscious that today not only do we have the prostate cancer support group from Ringwood, we also have students from Kew High and Methodist Ladies’ College. For them to see in this place parties from right across Labor, Greens, Libertarian and Liberal come together with some commonality and with some passion to talk openly about prostate cancer and what we can and should do together has been a great way to finish our third-last sitting week in this place together.

Dr Heath, thank you too for your contribution and for the work you have done previously. But also you are perhaps the youngest of all of us, and so perhaps your contribution will be the greatest if success in this place is a matter of duration. I thank the house.

Motion agreed to.