Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to voice my concern and frustration over the exclusion of Taiwan over the last 10 years from participation in the world’s premier public health forum, the World Health Organisation. Here in Australia we have a world-class healthcare system which aims for better health and active ageing for all citizens. However, if Australia’s healthcare system is to remain effective it is not enough for it to continue to act or consider itself in isolation. As a consequence of shifting demographic patterns, changes in lifestyle and globalisation, a fully integrated global health system is necessary to ensure that not only Australians but all peoples have direct access to the best facilities and the most up-to-date information. To guarantee this, strong governments must work together at the World Health Organisation, because individual countries cannot ensure this on their own.

In this global environment and as interdependence among countries has increased, the consequences of Taiwan’s continued exclusion from the WHO could also be felt in Australia. As Taiwan is Australia’s 12th largest trading partner, the eighth largest importer of Australian goods and a major regional transport hub with more than 225,000 flights, 27 million passengers and 50,000 international vessels passing through it every year, quarantine inspection in Taiwan is vital. Without proper monitoring and involvement from the World Health Organisation, the door is left open for epidemics to spread. It is therefore imperative that as representatives of the Australian public we acknowledge and address the issues that this loophole in health security could pose in the future.

This issue should be of great concern to the Australian public, as the impact on our trade, economy and health would be devastating. As leaders we must learn from past mistakes, and it is therefore important that we give serious consideration to the alarming problems Taiwan now faces as a consequence of exclusion from the World Health Organisation. There are many cases in which Taiwan has been prevented from accessing the resources and help of the World Health Organisation during times when there was great need for assistance. In 1998, Taiwan suffered from an enterovirus epidemic that came from Malaysia. In 2003, there was an outbreak of SARS, spread from China. We cannot allow such tragedies to be repeated. In this regard, members of the World Health Organisation—and Australia is one of those—must embrace the involvement of Taiwan. We should welcome Taiwan not only as a thriving democracy but as the No. 2 medical system in the world and one of the largest biotechnology science industries in the Asia-Pacific region.

No loopholes can be afforded in international disease prevention. The World Health Organisation must uphold its obligation, as set out in its constitution, that all people are entitled to ‘the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health’. Australia, as a significant member of the Asia-Pacific region, should support Taiwan’s bid for participation in the World Health Organisation. This should be considered a health issue as well as recognition of the rights of the people of Taiwan. I therefore appeal to all members to support Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organisation, not only today but into the future. As I said, we have an obligation, as leaders of the Australian people, to make our presence felt and our attitudes recognised in the World Health Organisation. We must ensure that Taiwan and its people are given the opportunity to participate in its information technology and in the dissemination of that information so that they can be aware of outbreaks of communicable diseases. This would go a long way to enabling them to secure their borders and ensure that they do not participate in the spread of diseases throughout the world. We owe this to our Australian public, to the commercial interests of Australia and to our vitally important trading partner, Taiwan, and its people.

Question agreed to.