Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Page for his question. In October last year the government coordinated Exercise Eleusis, which simulated an outbreak of avian influenza. It brought together industry, a hospital and state governments to assist our preparedness in the event of an actual outbreak. I am delighted to be able to release the government’s final report on Exercise Eleusis, which evaluates the exercise and makes recommendations on how we can do even better in the future. I commend it to all members of the House as a new and original document. Just bear in mind those words, ‘new and original’.

I am asked about alternative policies. A keen and enthusiastic member of my department told me the other day that there was an impressive and creditable paper issued on avian influenza from the opposition side—namely, by the member for Griffith, who, as we know, has many interests. I did not know pathogenic disease was one of them, but he prides himself above all else on being an original thinker. So I accessed his document, which is published by the Labor Party on Labor eHerald, which is the ALP’s national online magazine.

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