Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I refer the minister to information supplied to the Senate last night about quarantine arrangements at Eastern Creek quarantine facility. Can the minister confirm that so-called additional security and quarantine measures were implemented after 24 August when equine influenza was detected at that facility? Can the minister confirm that these measures include:

… a requirement for all persons entering the force quarantine area to undertake disinfection of their footwear ... to shower on arrival at the station, to shower when leaving and to wear AQIS supplied protective clothing at all times while in the station.

Given that the facility was supposed to be a secure quarantine area before 24 August, can the minister explain why these requirements were not followed before the disease outbreak? Given the overwhelming probability that the outbreak was initiated at Eastern Creek, couldn’t the spread of equine influenza have been prevented if these basic measures had been followed prior to 24 August?