Reception for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

Members of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Queensland Board; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Kaye and I are delighted to welcome you all to Government House this evening, in order to convey Queensland’s grateful acknowledgement of the wonderful work you continue to do to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

I consider this to be an issue of high importance and it is my privilege to be Patron of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

You know better than most the alarming statistics of prostate cancer diagnoses in this country.

More than 3,000 Australian men lose their lives to the disease each and every year; 20,000 men are diagnosed annually; and 200,000 men are currently living with prostate cancer.

Importantly, and as you all know, early detection of prostate cancer is the most vital weapon in the battle to reduce those numbers.

Now, for a variety of reasons, men generally don’t like to talk about their health.

Regardless of background, ethnicity or culture, this is a habit most men seem to have fallen into.

Which is why the work of this foundation is so vital.

These conversations are never easy to start, but your organisation has worked tirelessly in order to do so.

The month of September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month but, for many of you, educating and supporting the men of Australia – in all their diversity – is something you do for the full 12 months of the year.

Through creating events and opportunities to engage and empower men to take responsibility for their health, you really are turning the tide on the way we perceive this disease.

I’d particularly like to acknowledge the volunteers who generously give their time to help the organisation realise this ambition across all corners of our vast State – from Queenslanders living in major cities and metropolitan centres, to residents in remote, regional and rural areas.

Your dedication and commitment are at the heart of the foundation’s continued success, and I wish the very best for the future.

Kaye and I warmly invite you all to enjoy the hospitality of Government House, and congratulate you on the achievements your important work continues to make to the men of Australia, and their families, friends and supporters.

Thank you.