Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Clean indoor air is the missing link in reducing the risks posed by airborne threats like viruses, bushfire smoke and allergens. This pandemic would have had a completely different trajectory had indoor air quality standards been in place, which would have saved lives and livelihoods and maybe even prevented lockdowns. Wiping down surfaces and washing hands is fine if you have a pandemic of gastro, but that's not what we had. Treating indoor air like the water we drink is the key lesson of this pandemic.

I was pleased to launch, with Assistant Manager Ged Kearney, the Chief Scientist's report on clean indoor air. This work was commissioned by Ged with the support of the Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic. This report provides the evidence base to keep Australians safe, healthy and productive by treating indoor air in the same way we treat the water we drink.

At a time when productivity is on everyone's lips, clean indoor air is low-hanging fruit. Making the case for clean air with Ged directly to the national science council was a personal milestone for me because my journey into politics was through fighting for masks and clean indoor air for healthcare workers. This report provides the evidence base. The next steps are about implementation, which is essential to our resilience against future airborne threats and to our duty of care to Australians.

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