13th December 2025 Update:
Yesterday we met with Senator Anne Ruston (and her team) and we’re walking away feeling something we haven’t felt in a long time: real momentum.
This was a huge win, for so many reasons.
Senator Ruston was genuinely kind and generous with her time. She listened. She asked thoughtful questions. She took the time to understand every point we raised and the very real impact this issue is having on families right now.
Most importantly, she committed to an action plan for the new year. She was clear that some formal steps can’t happen until Parliament returns, but she will have a plan drawn up and in motion, with the right questions being asked and the right information gathered so we can finally understand why this critical project has stalled and what needs to happen next.
She also made it clear she sees this as a bipartisan issue. She will work with state and federal members to get answers and drive solutions, because access to best-practice cancer treatment should never be political. She specifically noted she will work with Ashton Hurn (the newly elected Liberal Opposition Leader for South Australia), who has been a long-time supporter of this cause, to keep pushing for the answers Australians deserve and the solutions families need.
Senator Ruston was blown away by the response to the petition. Like us, she couldn’t believe the numbers achieved in such a short time and the strength of support coming from across Australia and around the world. We formally handed over the petition today, but she knows it’s still live and she actively encouraged us to keep it going right through to the next parliamentary sitting in February. Her message was simple: the louder we are, the harder we are to ignore.
One moment that really stayed with us was her acknowledgement that whatever has happened in the past with this project, none of that is the fault of children. They deserve the best medical care available.
She agreed that proton therapy is accepted best practice for many cancers (not just paediatric cases). This isn’t new. It isn’t experimental. The results speak for themselves. And if we can reduce the long-term impacts of frontline treatment, we’re not only fighting to save lives today, we’re investing in futures with fewer lifelong side effects, and a better chance at long, healthy, happy lives.
Today was a win. We’re not finished yet, but it was a great leap in the right direction and another step closer to answers.
And from the Bragg Consumer Advisory Group, from the clinicians and specialists who only want the best treatment available here in Australia for our most vulnerable, and from every family who has shared our message this week while carrying their own story and their own fight: thank you.
Thank you for listening to us.
Thank you for engaging with this cause.
Thank you for signing the petition.
Thank you for sharing it on your social media.
Your voices are what give this campaign its strength and urgency. We’re going into the new year with renewed energy, clearer direction, and a more strategic focus on the steps forward.
More to come. We’re not stopping.