Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I do support this bill. I do not support the lockdowns, but, having locked down, we do need to provide people with assistance. I don't want to delay the passage of this bill, but I want to ask the minister a couple of quick questions. Firstly, has the government calculated the cost of each life saved from lockdowns? If so, what is that cost? How does it compare to the guidance note that is on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's website on the value of statistical life. That guidance note says:

Willingness to pay is the appropriate way to estimate the value of reductions in the risk of physical harm—known as the value of statistical life.

That value is around $5 million. I realise it's hard to reduce things to a single number, but if we didn't do this from time to time we'd all be driving Volvos. Secondly, what is the case fatality rate of the delta outbreak in New South Wales and how does that compare to the case fatality rate of the outbreaks last year in Australia?