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

Senator Watt is doing such a good job that my question is also for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. On 9 August, the Labor government announced a $10 million biosecurity cooperation package to assist Indonesia as it responds to foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease. Can the minister for agriculture outline how many staff have been trained on the ground in Indonesia?

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

Thank you, Senator Canavan, for giving me an opportunity to talk again about the support that our government is providing Indonesia to deal with its foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and its lumpy skin disease outbreak.

I was very pleased to make the announcement that Senator Canavan referred to. In partnership with Senator Wong, I announced that we would provide $10 million in international development support to Indonesia to assist them with their outbreak. That comes in addition to the support that we had already offered. Shortly after I was appointed to the role as minister I committed one million vaccines for foot-and-mouth disease to Indonesia, which I'm very pleased to say have arrived in Indonesia, have been delivered, and are in the process of being provided to farmers as we speak. On my return from Indonesia, we then went on to announce, I'm pretty sure the figure was $14 million, in additional support in the form of more vaccines, more technical assistance, diagnostics and other things.

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

Senator Canavan, on a point of order?

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

Just a point of order on relevance: the question was very specific about how many staff had been trained on the ground. The minister has mentioned a lot about the package but hasn't gone anywhere near answering the question.

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

I'll listen closely to the remainder of the answer. My understanding was that it's primarily about foot-and-mouth disease. Please continue, Minister.

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

The $10 million package that I announced at the National Press Club—and again I recognise Senator Wong for her contribution to that announcement—was a combination of measures. Some of it was staff, and I'm happy to take on notice for you the exact number of staff that are working there. It includes vets and other technical assistance as well. That money also involves another allocation of vaccines to Indonesia, which we are in the process of procuring.

I know there are some people on the other side who think that you should be able to snap your fingers and get those vaccines immediately. That's not how it works. There's a worldwide shortage of those vaccines at the moment, but we are actively engaged in procurement negotiations to obtain another round of vaccines, which will be delivered. As I said, that $10 million goes further than just vaccines. It includes things like providing vets, providing diagnostic assistance to make sure that Indonesia has the capability to undertake testing for foot-and-mouth disease, and a range of other support as well.

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

Senator Canavan, a first supplementary?

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

That goes to my supplementary question on vaccines. The minister has already outlined that the package includes vaccines, but can the minister outline if any vaccines that we have purchased have been administered in Indonesia to date?

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

Just before answering the supplementary question, I should also point out that the support that we're providing to Indonesia in the sense of personnel is also provided remotely. There will be additional Australian staff on the ground in Indonesia, but some of that support is already being provided remotely back here from Australia.

As I said, one million vaccines that Australia is providing to Indonesia have now arrived. That happened a couple of weeks ago. I'm happy to give you on notice the exact details as to how many of those vaccines have been administered, but my understanding is that the rollout is well progressed. We know that there's an urgent need to get those vaccines into cattle as quickly as possible. I'm happy to come back on notice with the exact answer.

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

Senator Canavan, your second supplementary?

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

The package also includes technical and advisory support to tackle outbreaks in Indonesia. Can the minister outline exactly what support has been provided to date?

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

Again, I'm happy to provide on notice the exact details of the support that has been provided to date from that package in the form of technical assistance. I think I've pretty much already answered what that technical assistance will involve. It's a mixture of veterinary assistance, diagnostics assistance to help with testing capability, and the manufacturing of vaccines because Indonesia have said that they want to manufacture their vaccines domestically. But, again, I'll come back with the exact details on notice.

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

I'm so tempted to keep going, President, but may I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.