Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Siewert, I've just taken you through some of the steps that the government is undertaking in response to the issues that you have raised. As I've stated, the government in 2015 released its National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy. In April 2019 the government released the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework. In addition to that, as I've said, the government is working with the states and territories in particular to ensure that Australia's capacity to respond to the health impacts of climate change are appropriate and effective.

I was unable to say to you in answer to your primary question that the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has also tasked the Environmental Health Standing Committee with reviewing the science of the health effects of prolonged smoke exposure—you raised smoke exposure in your primary question. In fact, they published a statement on 7 August 2020. The government is also taking action in direct response to the health impacts of the 2019-20 bushfire crisis. (Time expired)