Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. In the last 24 hours we have heard conflicting accounts of the government's preparedness to respond to the Ebola crisis from: one, the Chief Medical Officer; two, the head of the health department; three, the head of the foreign affairs department; four, the Defence Force; and, five, the immigration minister. Prime Minister, Australia needs leadership on this issue. Just who is in charge and are we ready?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are ready and obviously I take ultimate responsibility for our readiness and for what we do in response to the Ebola disaster now unfolding in west Africa. I can say that Australia has already responded very significantly to the Ebola crisis in west Africa. First we committed $1 million, then we committed $7 million, most recently we committed $10 million to the UN fund and, after we responded immediately to that particular request, UN spokesman Nabarro praised Australia and said that we had responded in a swift and effective manner and he invited other countries to do likewise.

While we are responding in west Africa, as we should, our priority inevitably is here at home and in our region. I can advise the House that the NSC has discussed Ebola on at least six separate occasions—I am advised by the health minister—most recently yesterday. The Chief Medical Officer is in almost daily contact with the state chief health officers to ensure that in every state there is an adult and a children's hospital which is the designated Ebola response institution should an Ebola case turn up on our shores.

We are ready to respond in our region. We have a team of 20 healthcare workers—four doctors and 16 nurses—who have been specially trained in the care of Ebola patients and the use of high-level personal protective equipment at the national critical care trauma centre in Darwin. They are fully vaccinated, fully acclimatised to work in the heat of our region, and this group could be deployed immediately out of Darwin for a four-week period. So I am pleased to have the question from the Leader of the Opposition. This is a very important topic. Australia is determined to be a good international citizen on this subject, as on all subjects, and we continue to carefully monitor the situation in west Africa and to talk to our friends, partners and allies about an appropriate response.