Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My electorate of Mallee continues to suffer under hard border closures to our north and our west. I have been outspoken about the immeasurable grief and hardship forced on many people in my community, and today I bring another situation. Michelle contacted me yesterday about her husband, David, who 12 months ago was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme grade 4 brain tumour, a malignant brain tumour, for which he had emergency surgery in Melbourne to remove it. A recent MRI, sadly, revealed new growth in the tumour. In desperation, David was booked for another surgery on 26 August with Charlie Teo, a leading neurosurgeon in Sydney. The paperwork for exemptions, permits, tickets, quarantine and hospital admission—the whole process—had to rapidly occur. The surgeon had made it clear to all involved that David had a malignant brain tumour which could double in size in 14 days, making the tumour inoperable. They travelled from COVID-free country Victoria in my electorate to Melbourne and then on to Sydney with their two-year-old daughter and were still required to hotel-quarantine for 14 days. They have been sitting in a hotel for seven days now with David's health deteriorating. I have taken this issue directly to the Prime Minister, and I would like to thank him for his direct intervention and assistance. My hope is that they will be in the Prince of Wales Hospital today. I welcome this intervention.