Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Minister Gallagher. We have had more than 265 cases of mpox, or monkeypox, since the start of the year. Scientists are also worried about avian flu coming from birds in Antarctica and spreading to wildlife and, potentially, to humans. We were caught short by the last government's response to COVID-19, even though experts had warned that a pandemic was a case of 'when, not if'. Out of the 19 recommendations from the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, how many recommendations has your government put in full?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lambie for the question. We did provide a response to that select committee some months ago. I can't tell you the number specifically, Senator Lambie. I just can't recall it.

But you raise an important question around mpox. The National Incident Centre has been activated to monitor that situation and coordinate the Australian government response. Australia has not recorded any cases of the new strain of mpox virus circulating in Africa. But, obviously, the systems that are in place—and we have learned from the pandemic, I think, about our emergency health response—have been activated, and it is being actively monitored. But that National Incident Centre will allow a scalable and consistent approach to governance and the coordination of operations across government and departments.

I should say the advice is that the current risk to the Australian public from mpox transmission is low to moderate. The public health risk to Australians will continue to be monitored and inform any adjustments to current activities. There are two vaccines available for use in Australia, and both are currently held by the National Medical Stockpile in case of a surge in cases within Australia. The department is reviewing the vaccine stock in light of the African outbreak.

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

Senator Lambie, first supplementary?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Out of the 19 recommendations, so far your government's had the ability to put in three recommendations in full. For the final report of the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, which was handed down in April 2022, after more than two years, the government has not released its response to the report. Minister, do you understand that the next pandemic might be just around the corner and will not wait for you to implement the recommendations before it starts infecting people? When is your government actually going to get around to releasing a response?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understood that we had responded to the select committee report, but I will check that. There is another piece of work underway that is reviewing the pandemic response, and I believe that will be finalised shortly. But I would also say that the systems and processes put in place and the learnings that were experienced during the pandemic have helped shape the response now. So things like the mpox—

An honourable senator: The CDC.

Yes—and that. The work that's been done on the CDC has been informed by the pandemic response and, indeed, the National Incident Centre, which is operating now in light of the mpox outbreak in Africa. So I would say that the learnings have already been implemented, but I will check and see whether there's anything further I can provide about the select committee report, if that's the report you're after.

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

Senator Lambie, second supplementary?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first key recommendation from the COVID-19 committee was setting up a centre for disease control. In 2023, your government allocated $91.1 million to be spent over two years. Can the minister tell me how much money has been spent so far?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm not in a position to specifically answer how much money has been spent so far, but that is work that the health minister has been progressing in discussions with state and territory counterparts. I might just have some extra information to provide on that. The independent panel that will report soon is looking at this, and it's expected that findings from the inquiry will inform the final design and scope of the CDC. So that work is underway and is being led, and hopefully we will have that report soon.