Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Where it is proposed by the Australian government to order personnel into harm's way, it is absolutely critical that appropriate risk mitigation procedures be in place. As both the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Health have pointed out on numerous occasions, we are a 30-hour flight away from west Africa. It is impossible safely to evacuate personnel from west Africa to Australia, and as yet there are no facilities in-country which we believe could adequately handle Australian personnel who had been ordered to the area. Australia has initiated a number of conversations with our friends and partners. Those conversations are ongoing, and we are determined to do what we can to help, but the safety of Australian personnel must be paramount, the security of our region must be paramount and the security of our people must be paramount. And that is something that is my duty, and it is a duty that I am determined to discharge.

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