Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given today to all questions without notice asked by the opposition.

What a disgraceful, disgraceful effort! I do want to talk about the IV shortage and other shortages that are happening, but we've got a new minister here who has just made light of and mocked violence against women in the Northern Territory.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green?

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, here we go! Sensitive—

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order: that is a personal reflection on the minister which is not a correct characterisation of the answer that she gave, and I'd ask Senator Hollie Hughes to withdraw.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes—

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I won't withdraw. I'll take my lead from Senator Ayres yesterday and say that I did not impugn. I will not withdraw.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes, can I just ask you to withdraw. To the extent—

I did not hear a personal reflection, but someone has picked up or feels it is a personal reflection. To the extent possible, for the benefit of the chamber, just withdraw and proceed.

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the particular sensitivities of those senators that don't like to hear their own dismiss violence against women, I withdraw.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you.

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know—do you like violence against women, so it's not why you're complaining?

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, the Clerk's given you advice, and on the point of order: that is an issue of very personal, deep importance to me, and Senator Hughes should withdraw not only the comments about the minister but also about me.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green, I take your point. Senator Hughes, it's just a simple—

Hollie Hughes (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw for the ease and the sake of the chamber. There were sensitivities felt here, particularly by Senator Liddle, and I noticed that the sensitivities that Senator Nampijinpa Price felt, when asking a serious question about incidents that had occurred and attacks on a candidate for the upcoming Northern Territory election, were dismissed and mocked by the minister of Indigenous affairs. Quite frankly I'm not even sure what the title is because I haven't quite memorised what all the changes have meant over the couple of weeks. Whatever Minister McCarthy's new title is, her treatment of Senator Nampijinpa Price's question, in her answer, tone and delivery, was absolutely appalling.

But interestingly it was also Senator McCarthy who gave, I think, the most disgraceful of answers when it came to the shortage of IV fluid in this country. The thing about the shortage of IV fluids, for those who've never had a job in business, let alone gone to medical school or understood how a lot of this works within the hospital system, is that IV fluids are actually very important. They're important when people are undergoing surgeries. But it might be interesting for some of you to be aware that they're actually important in obstetric care. We've got a situation at the moment where inductions of babies that could potentially be at risk are being delayed because of a shortage of IV fluid. Obstetrics can be dangerous at the best of times, but the fact that inductions are now being delayed because of this shortage of IV fluid means that the lives of babies are being put at risk. It is absolutely disgraceful.

Yet the answer that was given in this place was given with mirth. It referred back to COVID and what was happening during a global supply crisis. What actually happened, for those of you that weren't paying attention, for those of you that were trying to pay an extra—what was it, Jonno? Was it $600 for everyone who got the jab and an extra $6 billion that they wanted to pay to everyone who'd already had the jab? But give them some more money—because they've never seen an expenditure they don't want to put their arms around.

What actually happened during COVID was that the National Medical Stockpile was utilised, with stocks distributed to the states during a global shortage. We know there is no global IV fluid shortage, but what we also know is that this government, this health minister, were warned of it in March last year. Where are we now? We're in August 2024. So well over a year ago there were warnings about the IV fluid shortage, and nothing was done. All we've seen is that one week ago a monitoring group was set up. They've set up a monitoring group for a problem we already know exists.

But what was even more disgusting—it really does struggle to get to a lower level—as part of the minister's answer, which lacked any compassion at all, is that accompanying this IV shortage is a shortage of morphine. Again, for those of you that don't understand what morphine's used for—because clearly this government isn't interested—it is actually predominantly used in palliative care. It's used for people that are in the final stages of cancer, people experiencing significant pain, and there is a shortage of morphine. As for the mirth and the mocking and the smart alec answers provided by the minister, she couldn't take a moment to acknowledge not only the babies that are being put at risk through delayed inductions because of your IV fluid shortages but also the children undergoing palliative care who cannot access morphine, cannot access pain relief, because this government doesn't care.

This government's incompetence is now bleeding its way through every single system, including having direct impacts on the health of Australians. We know keeping Australians secure isn't important, with your Gaza tactics, and we now see the health— (Time expired)

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm keen to take note of the questions asked by coalition senators. Of course, it is important I point out that today, in the questions that were asked by those opposite, there was not a single question on the cost of living or the need to take pressure off households—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Sullivan, on a point of order?

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is relevance. We're meant to be taking note of the answers given and not of the questions that were asked.

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point about relevance is well made. Just be mindful to bring it to the answers to the questions.

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No worries, Senator O'Sullivan. You don't want to talk about cost of living, and I get that, because the government is making sure that we are delivering cost-of-living relief to all Australians, especially with a tax cut on 1 July to every single taxpayer. But you did ask some questions about an important issue, which is the supply chain of IV. In the responses I think we're going to receive today and in the questions themselves that were asked, there are a lot of mistruths and some misleading going on. I take Senator Hughes's contribution, but I respond in this way: our government is working very carefully on this issue, and we have been since April. The TGA has been working on this issue. What I will do is take advice from doctors. I won't take advice from Senator Hughes about health care. I think that would be a very poor decision on my part and on the part of the community. What I will do—and what the government does—is listen to doctors and work with them, and that is what I encourage the community to do.

Senator Hughes might like to know that the AMA has responded to this issue and has provided some very clear advice not just to the government but also to the community and perhaps also to senators opposite who want to worry people, spread mistruths and make people concerned about this issue spreading to other drugs or other vital medicines. AMA President Steve Robson—and I really draw the Senate's attention to his words—said this:

The cross-jurisdictional response group established by Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler is meeting frequently to share data; co-ordinate action on IV fluid usage and supply; establish forecasts for future needs; discuss logistics and issue clinical guidance and updates to our front-line healthcare workers.

This effort should be comforting for Australian patients, no matter where they live, or where they are being treated.

That is the information given by the President of the AMA, doctors and those in health care. What I would ask those opposite to do is not to mislead Australians about the work that is being undertaken on this critical issue. What I want to ask those opposite to do is not to use this parliament as an opportunity to litigate some sort of interrogation of things that are underway—that are happening and are being dealt with—in a way that alarms people out in the community. That is what they are seeking to do.

We talk about this issue being 'notified' and being aware of this issue. The TGA, since April last year, has taken a number of actions, and this is important information for those opposite who, we know, are intending on saying that nothing is being done. We know that, from April 2023, approvals of overseas-registered alternative products were made. Work is being done with the Office of Supply Chain Resilience to ensure no delays in shipping and unloading containers at Australian docks. We're asking product sponsors for any regulatory actions that will assist in increasing supplies, and we're increasing the national coordination on monitoring of supply.

Of course, all of this is an important issue that raises the importance of medical manufacturing. That's why our government made sure that the National Reconstruction Fund had a focus on medical manufacturing, but those opposite, in nine years in government, did nothing to help the manufacturing sector and did nothing to help the medical manufacturing sector. Whether it was during the COVID pandemic or not, they did absolutely nothing. They hate manufacturing, whether it's medical manufacturing or any other type. So to come in here and complain now about supply chains to a government that is committed to the National Reconstruction Fund and supply chains of those medicines is ridiculous. We know that they hate manufacturing. They voted against the National Reconstruction Fund even when it had medical manufacturing as a key element—

Andrew McLachlan (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Green.

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a complete embarrassment we have just heard from Senator Green on the other side. In fact, what an embarrassment we heard during question time today in answers that were given or, rather, in answers that weren't given to questions from coalition senators during question time. We see the same tactics all the time from this party, the Labor Party, who promised to be open and transparent in their government. It is yet another one of the Labor Party's broken promises—this government of broken promises—and they broke so many. Then they just come in and start making things up, as Senator Green just did in her contribution a moment ago, with respect to manufacturing.

We know that the shortage of IV fluids is having an effect. It is having an effect. If it wasn't having an effect, why is there a national conversation going on about it? We need more than a national conversation for an issue that has been known for over a year. I was talking to a procurement officer of a hospital just last week. Can I tell you, despite the denials from the Labor Party, this is having an effect on the way that the health system is operating. The Labor Party can trot out all the weasel words they like. They can try and blame somebody else. They can try and talk about it being a global shortage, which it's not. It's an Australian problem that they have known about since April last year and have done nothing about until recently. Now they are having a bit of a chat. What they should have done is take action at the particular point in time and dealt with the issue appropriately. But what do we get? We get deflection, we get blaming somebody else and we get talking about the opposition. The default position of this government when they get into strife is to blame someone else, talk about the opposition and talk about the oppositional leader, rather than actually dealing with the problems that are affecting Australians.

We see the same thing when it comes to the disallowance or the shutting down of the gold mine project. This wrecking ball of a minister, Minister Plibersek, who's cutting a swathe through industry in this country, makes a decision to kill off a project, but, of course, this open and transparent government says: 'We can't tell you why. You can't understand the reasons why this project is being closed down.' We see it again and again. I was told this morning of the night of the long knives here last week in Parliament House, where the salmon industry from Tasmania was summoned to Minister Plibersek's office and told their history and their future, and it's not good. MMG on the west coast of Tasmania were told their future, and it's not promising. The wind farm on Robbins Island were told about their future, and it's not promising either.

This government of broken promises is cutting a swathe through industry and a swathe through the west coast and the north-west coast of Tasmania with their broken promises and their weasel words like, 'We want to see a sustainable salmon industry operating in Tasmania.' How about, 'We want to see a strong and growing salmon industry operating in Tasmania'? All we get is weasel words from this government, nothing definitive, and the whole time this wrecking ball of a minister, Minister Plibersek, is killing off projects and creating uncertainty and angst in our local communities.

We come into question time, and we ask questions about these projects. We're dismissed. The issue is blamed on somebody else or blamed on us, yet this government won't make the decisions that support these local communities that take away the uncertainty and that create certainty for jobs. That's what these communities want. They don't want, 'We understand your concerns.' They don't want, 'We stand with you.' They want certainty about the fact that they are going to have a job in the future. They want certainty about the fact that their industry will continue to flourish. They want certainty about their project going ahead. It's about time this government was honest and straight with the Australian community instead of offering up mere weasel words.

Varun Ghosh (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There has been an effort here today to politicise an IV fluid shortage, and there's been a lot of heated rhetoric in this chamber about it. I want to take some of the temperature out of it and explain what the government is doing about it—the process and response. I also want to explain how that process demonstrates transparency and accountability and why that's important in a healthcare context and in the context of global supply chains.

A moment ago, Senator Colbeck said that there wasn't a global supply shortage. That is simply incorrect. There have been global shortages and supply issues that have affected Australia's position. There has been an unexpected increase in demand in Australia, and there have been manufacturing constraints here and overseas that are contributing to shortages. That's not something that the Labor Party or the government has come up with; that's the TGA in correspondence and in conversation with the sponsors of IV fluids in Australia and around the world. These fluids are important to our healthcare system, and that is why it's so important that this issue not be politicised and used to try to drum up alarm in the community. It needs to be approached in a problem-solving manner, which is what this government is doing.

The TGA has been working to mitigate these supply issues, but the Minister for Health and Aged Care and his colleagues around the country, the state ministers for health, have also been meeting and working to resolve the issues. There has been a response group created, and that response group will continue to meet on a weekly basis—or more frequently, as required—to deal with these supply issues and to fix the problems. There are immediate actions that this group has taken. The first relates to data and transparency—sharing data across jurisdictions on usage and supply and ensuring that producers and suppliers of IV fluids in Australia are providing data on their current supply and production forecasts. That is being done to better understand the severity of the shortage and to manage it in order to get the fluids to where they're needed most acutely. The second relates to distribution and logistics. In global supply chains, and in a country like Australia, it is important that there is a coordinated national approach to distribution across those supply chains and within Australia itself. Coordination and partnership are also important, and that's why we have all the state health ministers and the Commonwealth minister working together on this. Clinical guidance and communication are the final step, agreeing that there be consistent messaging across all jurisdictions to support appropriate usage while supply remains constrained. That is in quite stark contrast to the alarmism we've heard in this chamber today and the alarmism we've heard all week.

The reason I outline that process and take the time to go through the steps that are being taken and the extent of the coordination is to draw a contrast between the way this is being managed by this government, and the accountability and transparency it is demonstrating, and the approach of our friends opposite during the prime ministership of Scott Morrison. Scott Morrison was also, as we all know now, the secret minister for health. It's impossible to be accountable when you're a secret minister, because people don't know that you are exercising those powers. When Justice Bell conducted her inquiry into this particular affair, this act of constitutional vandalism, she said that Scott Morrison would have been able to take over from the health minister in a matter of minutes and that responsibility for that secrecy should be sheeted home to the Prime Minister. It's a little bit difficult to take those opposite seriously on those issues when, in their most recent opportunity to govern, they showed a complete lack of transparency and accountability.

I also want to talk also about coordination and my home state of Western Australia, because there's another contrast that is very stark: the manner in which Mark McGowan communicated during the pandemic. He used clear messaging so that people were clearly aware of the issues facing the community and could deal with them. He did so in a problem-solving manner, not in an alarmist manner—in a manner that sought cooperation to deal with the issues at hand, rather than make political points and try to embarrass a government that's trying to solve a problem with global origins. That contrasts very starkly with the lack of national leadership from those on the other side during the COVID pandemic.

There are three things we can say about this. It's a global problem. We're on the job to fix it. We are being transparent about how we're fixing it, and we are being accountable and coordinated in that response. That is something that cannot be said for those opposite.

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I certainly admire the attempt by my friend from Western Australia, Senator Ghosh, to deal with this issue seriously. I think he approached this in a sincere and serious way. Unfortunately though, we didn't have an attempt by the minister to seriously answer the question that was asked by Senator Brockman in relation to saline products that are available to vets and to animals across Australia. She seemed to take it as a joke in the way that she approached the answering of that question.

In doing so, in not taking it seriously, she referred to the banning of the live export of sheep in this country. One person that has not taken that issue seriously is, of course, the Prime Minister of this country, who joked at an event last night in front of the agricultural industry experts that were here in this building. The Prime Minister joked about the ending of that live export trade. How could this Prime Minister do such an atrocious thing—joke about the ending of the livelihood of farmers, who are reliant on this for them, their families and their community—in the way that he did?

The Prime Minister has demonstrated time and time again that he does not take Western Australia seriously, that he does not understand Western Australians and that he does not understand the industries that we rely on. Whether it be the agricultural industry or indeed the resources industry, we are seeing pressure on every sector across industry in Western Australia, and our Prime Minister—this Prime Minister, their Prime Minister—needs to take his responsibilities seriously. To appear in front of those there at that event last night—people who put their livelihoods on the line every day by going to work and making investment decisions—stand up on that stage and joke about their industry and the ending of their industry when they are hurting more than ever is absolutely appalling.

Someone that needs to take something seriously is the Prime Minister. When you come in here, we need to deal with matters that are of importance. This Prime Minister in this building last night demonstrated that he doesn't get it, and he doesn't get Western Australia.

Question agreed to.