Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to second the lengthy motion moved by the Chief Government Whip, a motion that seeks to have Taiwan granted observer status to the World Health Organisation. I will go over some of the points made by my esteemed colleague. Unfortunately, it is true that we have suffered epidemics in recent times. The Chief Government Whip mentioned SARS and avian flu, and I would add that we were very lucky that japanese encephalitis was contained within Malaysia.

The truth is that we are facing epidemics and surely we run the risk that at some time at least one will turn into a pandemic. It is when one of these epidemics becomes a pandemic that we will regret Taiwan not having been granted observer status to the World Health Organisation, in that it will not have been able to bring to that organisation its skills and expertise. Every country that we leave out increases our risk, I believe, of getting a pandemic.

Many Australians may feel that Australia is not at risk of avian flu. Every year some 13,000 illegal fishing boats land on our shores, with some of them containing birds. If there is one way that Australia will face the threat of avian flu, it is through those illegal fishing boats coming from our north. I would say that the risk is quite high; and, in containing such a disease, we would want all possible assistance from every member country of the WHO. It seems to me that leaving Taiwan out is a shame and represents a risk to all of us.

There is this issue: is this somehow giving Taiwan de facto political recognition? I believe that neither the government nor the opposition is walking away from our one-China policy. We believe that the issues between China and Taiwan are capable of being resolved—but by discussion and diplomacy, not by freezing one country out of all international organisations. I have been privileged to visit Taiwan and I am impressed with the level of skill and expertise of the Taiwanese. They would have much to contribute in fights against epidemics and pandemics.

The United Nations World Health Organisation, for the record, was established in 1948. Its objective, set out in its constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. I repeat: to achieve that these days is not a one-country operation. We are all interdependent in terms of health and outbreaks and in stopping epidemics becoming pandemics. The WHO has 192 members and some six observers. I believe that the World Health Organisation would be strengthened by Taiwan being granted observer status.

The Chief Government Whip pointed out, quite rightly, that the EU recently strongly supported observer status being granted to Taiwan. The EU is a considerable body of countries, countries which are not insensitive to the tensions that exist from time to time between Taiwan and China. I strongly support this motion. I sincerely hope that it will not be too long before we see observer status granted to Taiwan.

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