David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to bring to your attention the plight of the Tasmanian devil. This unique animal’s population is under threat from an aggressive, horrific and very unusual cancer. It takes the form of fleshy tumours that grow in and around the devils’ mouths and then develop into large lumps that kill in a matter of months. The devils usually die from starvation as their teeth are either forced out of their mouths by lumps or the lumps prevent them from chewing.

The devil facial tumour disease, or DFTD, is a contagious cancer and is one of only a few cancers that actually can be transmitted from one animal to another. It is spreading across Tasmania, travelling from devil to devil, with a 100 per cent fatality rate. There are no preclinical tests to determine infection, the gestation period is unknown and, like other cancers, there is no known cure. The seriousness of a disease that we know too little about and that threatens this population cannot be overlooked or underestimated. Failure to take urgent and appropriate action could well lead to the extinction of what is a unique animal, unlike anything else alive today.

So what is it about this disease that makes it so hard to address? Research shows that DFTD acts differently to your usual human cancer because the cells in each tumour are identical. They are treated by the devils’ bodies like a transplanted organ. The lack of genetic diversity amongst the devils prevents their immune systems from rejecting the cancerous tissue as foreign and, as a result, it grows unchallenged until it is sufficiently large to hamper their ability to eat or breathe. It appears usually to be transmitted when devils fight over food, often biting each other’s faces and transmitting cancer cells in the process.

The situation is sad and extremely concerning. This makes it especially offensive when opportunists with their own agenda abuse the plight of the devils by suggesting the DFTD was caused by activities they are campaigning against, without any proof or even the tiniest bit of evidence that their claims might be true. The fact is that finding the cause of this disease, which has been around for at least 10 years, will be almost, if not completely, impossible. And wasting time specifically trying to find its cause would be entirely counterproductive when what is needed is a focus on finding a solution. Research into this disease is already a project on a global scale, with participation and support from scientists in many countries. The most promising research surrounds mapping of the devil’s genome and looking into the genetic resistance that may be present in animals from Tasmania’s west—an area to which the disease has not yet spread.

These are the sorts of projects that are vitally important if we are to find a solution to address the spread of the disease. But, of course, research of this type requires millions of dollars of funding to make it possible. Immediately prior to their election, the then federal Labor opposition promised $10 million in funding over the next five years specifically for research into a cure for this disease. Unfortunately, they will not start delivering on this promise until the next financial year, and even then it is likely to come in dribs and drabs. In the meantime, researchers need to rely on current levels of funding and support from donations. Whether this is good enough, only time will tell. Some commentators, including scientists, have made very alarmist claims that the devil will be extinct within five years, two years or even 12 months if research does not find a solution within those time frames.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Community Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That’s if global warming doesn’t get them!

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. I am not sure what to make of these claims. What I do know is that 50 per cent of the devil population has been wiped out in the past 10 years by the DFTD and that the disease continues to kill devils at a great rate. I suspect that the nature of transmission of the disease means there will be a slowing of its spread as devil numbers become sparser and they have fewer opportunities to interact, but that it will continue to reduce the devil population and eventually threaten its existence. As such, it is vital that the research be funded up-front and quickly, to ensure that the solution is found before it is too late.

The Rudd government may be taking a relaxed approach to the issue, but it is good to see that not everyone is. There is a nine-year-old boy in Hobart whose passion for the Tasmanian devil has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars being raised for research. Nicholas Bonnitcha—or ‘Nature Nic’, as he likes to be known—last year arranged a day at his school where all the students would wear black and white clothing and donate a gold coin to help raise money for DFTD research. Out of this grew the inaugural Black and White Day, on which Nic was able to entice the involvement of 39 Tasmanian schools and businesses and raise over $10,500. At the time Nature Nic was eight years old.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A wonderful effort.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Fantastic. Since then, Nic has launched his own 2008 devil calendar, expected to raise about $30,000. It is a great calendar. It features pictures of a number of young Tasmanians who responded to a call from Nature Nic. To be considered, each young Tasmanian had to tell him why they thought they were a little Tassie devil. The successful applicants had their quote printed next to their picture. The responses were beautiful and I have to quote a few here, with apologies to those that time constraints force me to omit. Madeleine Fasnacht said, ‘I am a little Tassie devil because I am cheeky and mischievous.’ Kate Tedeschi said, ‘I am a little Tassie devil because I have huge teeth.’ And Emma Langley said, ‘I am a little Tassie devil because I have freckles everywhere—they’re whiskers!’

Nature Nic is being featured in National Geographic, on Totally Wild and has the support of Australia Zoo. Nic’s hero is Steve Irwin. Nature Nic has a dream that Black and White Day can be elevated to a national day of recognition for the Tasmanian devil. As you can imagine, if this day was supported by the thousands of schools around the country, a substantial amount of money could be raised towards ensuring the devil has a future. If such a day achieved its full potential—just one nationally supported Black and White Day—raising enough money to sequence the genome of the Tasmanian devil is a very possible outcome. Many schools on the mainland are already aware of Black and White Day and plan on supporting it in 2008. More than 370 schools have created class projects that specifically focus on how this disease is affecting the Tasmanian devil. This level of support for the Tasmanian devil from interstate schools and businesses is extremely heartening. I note in particular the fundraising contributions from Qantas, Warner Bros, Hartz mineral water and the Mark Webber Challenge Foundation.

Three months ago I wrote to Prime Minister Rudd seeking support for a national Black and White Day. Neither I nor Nature Nic was looking for money or for the day to be given any official status. Rather, we were just hoping that the Prime Minister might provide the moral backing of the government to the cause and administrative or bureaucratic backing and support to the concept—such as sanctioning the observance of the day in public sector workplaces, publicly calling on people to support it or providing advice and assistance to its organisers and Nature Nic in getting the message about it out there to Australians. The response I received from his parliamentary secretary was underwhelming to say the least. It was suggested to me:

… the government considers that community initiatives, such as Black and White Day, should generally evolve without government involvement.

As noted, I am not asking the government to involve themselves to any great extent. But I still encourage them to put their stamp of approval on the concept of a national Black and White Day and acknowledge that the people of Australia want to support this cause. My belief is that the government can be proactive and work to support a national day for the Tasmanian devil, as was done with the bilby in 2005. Having Black and White Day recognised nationally is something that has been raised by Nature Nic with all state education ministers. Tasmania’s education minister is actively promoting the idea to our schools, but Nature Nic and I would like to see this level of support from other states and territories as well. A public statement of support from the Prime Minister would help significantly.

There is a lesson to be learned from the path to extinction travelled by the Tasmanian tiger. Just months after being confirmed as endangered, it was declared extinct. National Threatened Species Day was created as a tribute to the Tasmanian tiger and should help us to remember that a different approach is required if we are to protect our unique fauna. As mentioned, it is estimated that more than 50 per cent of the pre-disease population of devils have already been wiped out by DFTD. Last November they were listed as endangered. We should now do what we can to help them, or choose to sit by as their numbers dwindle down to dangerously low levels—and possibly even the threat of extinction. Three things are crucial for the success of any proposed solution to this disease: time, money and support. All three are linked but ultimately it is money that will deliver the solution. I call this evening for public support for a national Black and White Day on 16 May.