Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition won't be supporting the disallowance motion, for the reasons that I'll outline. The Moderna 10-year strategy partnership is about sovereign health security, future pandemic preparedness and growing Australia's world-leading medical research sector. It was commenced by the former coalition government, with the support of the Victorian Labor government, and finalised under the Albanese Labor government in August 2022. The agreement will result in Australia being able to make up to 100 million world-leading mRNA vaccine doses per year in the event of another pandemic or health emergency. This provides the capacity and capability to protect against evolving strains of COVID-19 or new respiratory diseases that emerge in the future.

Moderna was selected through a full and exhaustive cabinet process on the basis that it was the only bid that had an existing mRNA vaccine technology. As part of the partnership, Moderna will maintain a world-class facility ready for rapid deployment in the case of future endemic or pandemic threats. The facility will also have the capacity to support Australia with domestically manufactured mRNA vaccines against common seasonal respiratory viruses, pending TGA approval. All vaccines supplied from the facility will need to be approved by the TGA and ATAGI and undergo health technology assessments, as is the case with other vaccines supplied in Australia. It will make critical and regional hubs for mRNA technology development and production, bolstering our local biotechnological sectors.

Successive national governments, the independent Halton review and the COVID-19 response inquiry have all identified the need for sovereign manufacturing capability to respond to future health threats. Moderna, established in Melbourne, enables Australia to be one of the few countries worldwide with end-to-end mRNA based vaccine manufacturing. The final framework regulation gives legal effect to the partnership between the government and Moderna and has been in place since 2022.

I acknowledge the member for Kooyong, but given the agreement commenced under the coalition government which is being implemented by the Labor government with bipartisan major party support, we will not be supporting a disallowance to void this agreement. For companies like Moderna and the pharmaceutical industry across Australia, predictability in government policy is essential, and it provides the certainty needed to invest in Australia, create jobs and grow our medical and research capabilities. The coalition is committed to delivering that sustainability and stability.

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