Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister spoke to the US President and they discussed Australia making additional contributions to the Ebola crisis response. The UK Prime Minister has also called for Australia to send personnel to west Africa. Indeed, today in Senate estimates the Department of Foreign Affairs revealed that specific requests for Australia to send personnel were made by both the US and the UK governments in September. Now that these requests from our close friends and allies are public, how will the Prime Minister respond?

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

I thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition for her question. She is absolutely right. Yesterday I did have a quite lengthy discussion with President Obama about a range of subjects: about the situation in the Middle East, about the upcoming G20, about matters in our region, and also about the Ebola crisis. Yes, our partners and allies would like us to do more, and we are carefully considering those requests. I do point out, though, that there is a world of difference between people volunteering to assist—and I salute their selfless humanitarianism—and people being ordered into a difficult and dangerous region.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left!

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

Where personnel, such as military personnel, are being—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Honourable members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left! That includes the member for Charlton.

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

deployed into any particular region, it is vital that risk mitigation strategies be in place—

Mr Dutton interjecting—

Honourable members interjecting—

I love the assistance of my colleagues, but I would like some silence if that is okay.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence all round. The Prime Minister has the call.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to 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.