Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Of course, new institutions and powers always invite scrutiny—rightly so. In supporting the Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill and the Australian Centre for Disease Control (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill, I want to acknowledge several legitimate concerns and show how legislation is structured to address them.

The CDC must be seen by the public as an independent, objective and evidence driven institution. The draft legislation includes: mandatory publication of advice and underlying evidence; an advisory committee appointed based on expertise to provide challenge and perspective, though without decision-making powers; and that at least one member of the advisory council be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, to ensure that First Nations perspectives are included. In short, transparency is baked into this legislation, not retrofitted.

Another concern is how data will be handled, particularly sensitive health information. This legislation ensures that the use, sharing and disclosure of data will be consistent with the Privacy Act and tightly controlled. The CDC cannot compel government entities to release data. The legislation explicitly prohibits any overreach, including data power grabs. Protected information under the CDC Act is exempt from freedom-of-information requests under the FOI amendments in this bill.

An institution without resources is just an aspiration; it's not a reality. The Australian Medical Association has welcomed this legislation but emphasised the importance of sustained funding and expert leadership for the CDC to command credibility. The Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases has also endorsed this bill and called for continued support and partnership with the research and clinical community. Thus we must commit not only to the passing of this legislation but also to the funding, staffing, infrastructure and oversight mechanisms, including transparent reporting, parliamentary scrutiny and community engagement.

As the member for Newcastle I understand how local health infrastructure, trust in public health advice, and preparedness for outbreaks matter deeply to people's lives—in our schools, workplaces and aged-care homes and in our urban and regional centres. In recent years our nation saw how fragile continuity can be when systems are overwhelmed. As the COVID-19 response inquiry highlighted, Australia wasn't prepared for a pandemic. Because of the lack of planning, Australia's pandemic response to COVID was slow and confused and lacked authority. Our community, like so many others, lived with the uncertainty of changing rules, supply shortages, school disruptions and the heartbreak of isolation from loved ones. These were not abstract policy failures; they were lived experiences.

Communities want certainty that when the next outbreak or emerging threat arrives we will be ready. The new CDC, supported by this bill, provides that assurance. In our region, and right across Australia, this reform will streamline responses and ensure that emerging infectious threats, whether pandemic or endemic, receive a national backbone of leadership, not fragmented responses.

There are many Australians who have long advocated for this, but I want to take a moment to recognise two Novocastrians who really worked hard to ensure that this was on the Labor government's agenda and part of our national conversation. One is a fantastic local constituent of mine, Sue Wood, and the other is my predecessor, the former federal member for Newcastle, Sharon Grierson.

Let me summarise the case for supporting this bill, because I heard a lot of mischief-making last night in some of the debate on the bill. There is a strong case for supporting the bill before the House. It is foundational. Without these provisions, the CDC cannot function coherently. This bill enables clarity and certainty by legislating the roles of migration of powers to prevent legal vacuums and confusion. It respects federated responsibility; it doesn't try to usurp the states or territories. It complements, cooperates and coordinates. It safeguards rights and balances powers. Transparency, accountability, privacy protections and limitations on coercive powers are built into this legislation. It demands continued investment, so passing this bill is only the beginning. We must resource the CDC properly and ensure it remains responsive, credible and well governed.

And, above all, it is people focused. This is about protecting Australian lives, restoring trust and making sure Australians, no matter where they live, can rely on a system that is going to respond swiftly, transparently and effectively when it matters most. This bill is a solemn promise to the Australian people that we will not drift into wilful unpreparedness again and that we will build institutions that are resilient and capable of safeguarding life. In doing so, we honour the lessons from the past, from COVID and outbreaks of influenza to other health shocks. We equip our nation for the future. I commend this bill to the House, and I sincerely urge all members to support it.

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