Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister update the House on the steps the government is taking to ensure we are prepared in the event of a confirmed the Ebola diagnosis in Australia?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wannon very much for his question. I want to quote from Labor Senator Jan McLucas, who said last night in Senate estimates:

I want to confirm from my perspective the domestic preparedness is as it should be for a first world country, and that is great.

Even Senator Di Natale, the Greens senator, said:

I think, to be frank, Australia is in one of the best positions anywhere in the world to respond to a domestic outbreak.

Jan McLucas went on to say:

I reaffirm my view that our domestic preparedness is fantastic.

I think that is the case and I think Australian is are hearing a lot at the moment by way of scare campaigns, but I want to provide this reassurance: we have one of the best health systems in the world; we have a workforce which is trained to the highest standards in the world; and if we have a presentation of an Ebola case on our shores coming through the ports or presenting at an emergency department, we have the best capacity to deal with that case and deal with it we will. We have doctors and nurses and allied health professionals trained as tertiary hospitals around the country, as the Prime Minister pointed out before. We have the ability to trace people with whom that patient has had contact, and we can provide testing on a rapid basis to confirm whether or not that person has the virus. That is what you would expect from a developed nation like ours. It is in contrast to some of the terrible images and outcomes that people are seeing in West Africa at the moment. It is the case in Nigeria, for argument's sake, that they have been able to contain the virus and they have been able to remove themselves from the list which would see their country in the same circumstance as perhaps somewhere like Sierra Leone might. The situation in those countries obviously is very different for a number of reasons, including low standards of training within health care facilities. The ability for us to deal with it in this country is very, very different than what people are seeing playing out on their television screens in West Africa.

I want to also say to the House that I am very concerned about some of the scare campaign than is being run at the moment by those opposite. This is an issue where there should be a bipartisan approach. I think if you contrast the words of the Leader of the Opposition, he has tried, as best he can, to be a little more responsible than the left of his own party. It is regrettable that health workers around the country—

Ms Butler interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith is warned!

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is regrettable that health workers around the country are being questioned by those opposite. At least when Craig Thomson was in this place he pretended to reflect the interests of people within hospitals around the country. He might have had other failings, but he did not bag health workers out like these people opposite are. We will not stand for it. We will defend the level of training of our doctors and nurses in hospitals. We have the best response capacity in the world. We will provide support to those doctors and nurses. We will not stand by and see Labor trash the reputation of health workers in this country. They should provide support on a bipartisan basis and stop their political nonsense.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Silence! Before I call the honourable member for Ballarat, there will be silence in the House. We will not have that wall of noise again. Otherwise there might be a whole group of people who will be asked to leave under 94(a).