Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I am aware that not any veterinarian but our country's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp, has personally been in Indonesia, cooperating with the Indonesian government and their veterinary authorities to offer assistance, and that is ahead of the deployment of additional expertise. As some members opposite might know, when in government, when liaising with other governments, it's probably a good idea to do that in partnership with those governments and to work with them in a manner that works on the ground. So, the chief vet was with me during my recent trip to Indonesia where I met with the Indonesian Minister of Agriculture along with the head of the Disaster Management Authority, and I expect that the extra assistance that we have offered will be deployed as quickly as it possibly can be in partnership with Indonesia.