Victorian Labor promises free dental care if re-elected in Australia-first move

The Victorian Labor government has pledged $230 million to establish 10 public dental clinics if re-elected. The initiative aims to provide free walk-in checkups and treatments to address cost-of-living pressures.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in public health policy, marking the first time an Australian state government has proposed universal free dental access.
Ben Carroll says Labor’s proposal for free dental checkups is ‘structural cost-of-living support’ and a national-first intervention by a state government. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/AAP Ben Carroll says Labor’s proposal for free dental checkups is ‘structural cost-of-living support’ and a national-first intervention by a state government. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/AAP Victorian politics Victorian Labor promises free dental care if re-elected in Australia-first move Premier Ben Carroll says $230m would be earmarked for 10 public dental clinics to operate on a walk-in basis
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Prefer the Guardian on Google Victorians would be able to walk into a dental clinic and receive free checkups and treatment under an Australian-first proposal the Labor government will take to the November state election.
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