Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Whilst I take the minister’s point that the disease came from Japan, I did not actually say that. I said that what we knew was that on 15 August 200 vets were despatched in Japan to look at horses there for suspicion of influenza. That was reported in the Japanese press. On Thursday, 16 August, the Japanese racing authority officials held a news conference to announce 20 thoroughbreds were infected with equine influenza. So when I say we knew, it was certainly reported in the Japanese press that there had been an outbreak there. But I also take the point that it is yet to be proven that the disease outbreak at Eastern Creek originated in Japan.