Josh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] On 4 August I wrote to the Prime Minister with a simple request—that members of his government not give medical advice, during a health pandemic, that they are not qualified to give. I was of course referring to the member for Hughes, who has consistently undermined the Prime Minister's own chief medical officers as well as making outrageous claims against state medical authorities. It has been almost three months since I wrote that letter to the Prime Minister, and he hasn't even bothered to reply. I understand the Prime Minister's office has been busily checking the Prime Minister's emails over the last few days, so can I request they go back and find the letter from 4 August and stop the member for Hughes from giving false and dangerous medical advice.

I know the Prime Minister personally intervened in his preselection, but how long will the Prime Minister run a protection racket for the member for Hughes? When the member for Hughes called on the federal Deputy Chief Health Officer to resign because he wouldn't promote hydroxychloroquine, the Prime Minister said he was entitled to his views. When the member for Hughes teamed up with the member for Dawson to accuse the Queensland Chief Health Officer of committing crimes against humanity for banning hydroxychloroquine, the Prime Minister stuck by his man. When the member for Hughes compared Victoria to Nazi Germany, the Prime Minister said nothing. It is time the Prime Minister stopped attacking the Victorian government and brought the member for Hughes into line. (Time expired)