Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It would be highly inappropriate to send our personnel overseas. We have at least 20 or 30 Australians who are now working with other organisations in West Africa and that is entirely appropriate. If Senator Di Natale, as a doctor, would like to go over there, there is nothing today stopping him from doing that. But he would have to remember that, if he goes over there, the Australian government does not yet have a guaranteed way to get him home in under 30 hours. It may take longer. And the UK does not yet have a field hospital that he could be treated in, so in that circumstance it would be irresponsible of the government to do so. This week there was a quote from infectious diseases expert Dr Nick Coatsworth from the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, who used the analogy:

If they can’t get you to a first-world intensive care unit in a reasonable time frame, it would be like sending in the SAS into Afghanistan with no helicopters to get them out.

(Time expired)

Question agreed to.