Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Watt. How many passengers have passed through Australian international airports from Indonesia since the foot-and-mouth outbreak was reported in Bali on 5 July 2022?

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

Again, I am very happy to provide the exact number to the member.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Watt, resume your seat, please.

Opposition se nators interjecting—

Order! Senator Watt, please continue.

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

I know it hurts being over there and I know it is going to hurt for a long time.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, resume your seat.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Order! Please allow the minister to answer the question.

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

What hurts our agriculture industry more is the hysteria that we continue to see on display from the opposition in relation to this very important issue.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Birmingham, on a point of order?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, President. There was only one question asked. That was: 'How many passengers have passed through Australian international airports from Indonesia since the foot-and-mouth outbreak was reported in Bali?' Senator Watt has taken that on notice already. He is now simply moving to make political points. He has addressed the question by taking it on notice and there is nothing further to add, clearly.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Birmingham.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Order! Senator Wong?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On that point of order, I would observe—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I have called Senator Wong on a point of order. I am asking senators to be silent.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I think there is precedent—but obviously you will take advice from the Clerk—in the previous parliament where, even if a minister has taken on notice responding to some of the substance of what was put subsequently, he is entitled to do that. That was the practice under the previous government and the previous President.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senators Birmingham and Wong. I remind Senator Watt to address his remarks to the question. He has taken some of it on notice, but he may be able to—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Order! Do you wish to raise a point of order, Senator McKenzie? Okay, Senator Watt, please continue.

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

I wanted to check this number to make sure that I was giving accurate information to the chamber. The number is 23,600 air travellers—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. I would say to all senators that, if I am directing a senator or senators to do something in particular, please do that. I was trying to get Senator Watt to sit down so I could listen to Senator McKenzie's reason for standing up. But I wasn't able to do that because there was too much noise. Senator McKenzie?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to raise a point of order, and if it isn't a technical point of order I'd ask you to rule on this. Senator Watt answered the question by taking it on notice. He therefore ended his answer. I would like a ruling from you on this.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When there is silence I will answer that response. The question was asked about a specific number which, you are correct, Senator Watt took on notice. But he has now been supplied with that, and in the same way that other ministers would've, he is informing the Senate of that number.

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

As I was saying, the number of passengers arriving by air from Indonesia last week was 23,600. Of those, 21,948 were air travellers returning from Bali, so about 90-odd per cent. I think one of the pleasing aspects of this is that the efforts of our biosecurity officers over the weekend—it's disappointing that Senator McKenzie doesn't want—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am just seeking clarification, President. He gave us last week's Bali numbers. I asked for the passengers from 5 July once the outbreak in Bali was actually notified to Australia, so is he going to take on notice the parts he couldn't answer or is that his answer?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt was I think answering the question. I don't think he got to the end of it, so let's get him to the end of it and see where we end up. Senator McGrath, on a point of order?

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would ask the minister to table the document that he is clearly reading from. Will you table it? And could he table his phone also, please?

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

It's disappointing that senators opposite want to ridicule such a serious matter.

Opposition senators interjecting—

I'm trying to help. I'm trying to give you information.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am asking for the minister to table the document.

The:

And the minister has agreed to table the document.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Has the minister agreed to table the document? I didn't hear the minister say so. Have you tabled the document?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath, please resume your seat.

Senator McGrath interjecting—

Senator McGrath, I have asked you to sit down. I understood, and I will clarify, Senator Watt has agreed to table the document. Senator Watt, please resume answering the question.

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

I will take that request on notice. If Senator McKenzie would like the information that she has asked for, I'm happy to provide it. The week commencing 4 July this year 20,404 passengers returned to or entered Australia from Indonesia, 92.7 per cent of whom were from Bali; 23,600 the following week, the week commencing 11 July; and the most updated figures that I have are the ones that I have already given. The pleasing thing about the numbers, when you dig into them further, is that we are seeing an increased level of compliance from passengers, which shows that they are listening to the accurate, non-alarmist information that is being put out by this government, as opposed to the alarmist rhetoric coming from the opposition, which is rejected roundly by industry.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, first supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many of these passengers that have passed through Australian international airports from Indonesia have been treated with disinfected foot mats on arrival?

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

I assume that Senator McKenzie has been following this. If she has she would know that the sanitised foot mats started being installed in international airports on Monday this week, and that was completed yesterday. I might point out, by the way, that this is the first time in our history that we have seen sanitised foot mats put across every international airport in the country. We never saw the former government do this in any airports when there were outbreaks in Vietnam, in China, in Indonesia, in Malaysia, in South Africa and in every other country.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. I was very clear in my question. Now that he's found the numbers for passengers on 5 July—and I'd also like to thank his staff for that—how many of those tens of thousands of passengers returning from Bali have actually been treated? It's not if the mats are rolled out or not. How many passengers have actually gone through appropriate biosecurity measures at our borders?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McKenzie. I'll allow Senator Watt to continue to answer your question.

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

It is unfortunate that Senator McKenzie didn't stay for the entire briefing that I just provided to all MPs. If she had done that, she would have heard one of our biosecurity officials say that the answer was a hundred per cent. A hundred per cent of passengers have been walking through sanitised foot mats. The—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator McKenzie?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought the questions were very clear, simple—one sentence apiece. The question is—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just a moment—

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Relevance, Madam President.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And I've answered that. Senator McKenzie, please resume your seat. Senator Wong?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can't take a point of order on a point of order.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, please resume your seat. Senator McKenzie, I understood that you took a point of order on relevance, thank you. We will allow—

No, I've taken your point of order. Please resume your seat.

Senator McKenzie, I've asked you to resume your seat. Senator Watt, the question was how many passengers—if you could continue.

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

Well, I've answered the question. A hundred per cent have done so. And I might point out that, when this outbreak got to Indonesia, the former government put down no sanitised foot mats and had no passengers walking across them, absolutely—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Watt!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Senators, before I call Senator McKenzie—

Honourable senators interj ecting—

Order!

Senator McGrath! I will point out that the level of interjection is disorderly and I would ask you to respect the person asking the question and the person answering. Senator McKenzie, your second supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the 48 hours following the establishment of the biosecurity response zones at 12 midnight, Friday 22 July, how many foot mats were actually operational in Australian international airports for passengers inbound from Indonesia?

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

or WATT (—) (): As I said in my previous answer, the foot mats were rolled out and installed in every international airport in Australia on Monday and Tuesday this week. Again, I point out that that compares to zero sanitised foot mats that were ever rolled out—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt.

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

by the former government—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt!

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

when there were outbreaks in a—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt!

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

number of—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt!

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

countries—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt! I don't want to have to call you five times before you respond. Senator McKenzie is on her feet on a point of order. I expect you to sit down. Thank you.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. I was going to this: when the biosecurity response zones were established at 12 midnight on Friday 22 July, how many foot mats were actually operational?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will draw Senator Watt back to the question. Senator Wong, on the point of order?

Honourable senators i nterjecting—

Order! Senator Watt, did you wish to pursue—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I understand it, that—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McGrath—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, that's fair enough.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will ask you to be silent.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order—as I understand it, Senator McKenzie made a point of order—I'd make this point: a point of order is not a debating point. Senator McKenzie is at the moment—

Well, you know, that's life! That's life. We have our roles in this democracy, don't we! We all understand them. Senator McKenzie—

An opposition senator interjecting—

Would you like to take a point of order, then maybe I can have mine? Thank you, I'd appreciate that. Senator McKenzie is engaging in debating points. Now, she's entitled to those points. There's an opportunity for her after this to do so. But it is not a point of order on relevance to tell the minister that, because he's given a different date, in his response to the question, to the one she's identified, that somehow is not relevant.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, you have 40 seconds remaining.

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

I don't know if I can be any more clear as to when the mats were put down, but I thank Senator McKenzie for bringing to the attention of the chamber one of the other pioneering measures put in place by this government, which has never been done by any other government in this country—including the former government—and that is the establishment of biosecurity response zones in our international airports. I have repeatedly said that the response of this government has been the strongest biosecurity response we've ever seen—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. Senator McKenzie on a point of order?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The biosecurity response zone was established. How many mats were in place—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, order! Resume your seat. If you are calling a point of order, you need to be immediately relevant to that point, and not debate it. Is there a point of order? Senator Watt.

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

This government is doing more than any government has ever done about any foot-and-mouth outbreak across the country—sanitised foot mats, biosecurity response zones, more biosecurity officers—you did nothing; we're picking up the slack. (Time expired)