Senator REYNOLDS (Western Australia) (16:53): I also rise to speak on this urgency motion on the Ebola epidemic. I have to say up-front that, listening to the speakers opposite, all I could think was: never let the facts or the public interest get in the way of a good political scare story. It completely appals me that those opposite have used this very grave international issue to try to score some very cheap political points. Without question, the primary responsibility of our government is the protection of Australians. No matter how much those on the other side assert that that is not the case and that this government has been sitting on its hands, it has not.

Last week many of those opposite, including Senator Di Natale, sat there and heard very clear evidence from the chief medical officer and also from the secretary of the Department of Health that Australia is very well prepared domestically. A lot of work and a lot of action have gone into ensuring that our primary responsibility is protecting Australians. Even those opposite acknowledged that that testimony was correct.

It is also very appropriate that, once we ensure that we have the proper controls and response mechanisms in place in a public policy sense, we then turn to our region which, interestingly, Senator Lines just acknowledged is in the areas of Papua New Guinea and elsewhere in our region. It almost defies logic that we would, first, be looking to send our health professionals not only whom we need here in case of an outbreak here but, as she acknowledged, who might be required in our region because they do not necessarily have sufficient primary health care to deal with those issues. Therefore, I think it is entirely appropriate that this government, after making sure that we are as prepared as we can be, help those in our region in the event of an outbreak.

It is also very important to take a look at the facts, absolutely none of which I heard from those opposite. The facts on Ebola are yes, it has great lethality. About 50 per cent of those who contract it do die. However, what we have not heard is the nature of the disease. This is not a highly contagious disease and it has very specific times when people can get sick. It is not a new disease, we know how to treat it and we know how to—

Senator Di Natale: How do we treat it?

Senator REYNOLDS: Madam Acting Deputy President, am I being asked a question?

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Lines ): Senator Di Natale, Senator Reynolds has sought the assistance of the chair. Please allow her to finish her contribution in silence.

Senator REYNOLDS: From all of the evidence from the World Health Organization, from those who have been dealing with this and from the recent experiences in Nigeria and Senegal, both of whom have now effectively dealt with outbreaks and are now Ebola free, we know that it is passed on through person-to-person contact at a very highly infectious stage, which is generally towards the end stages, and that it is passed on through direct contact with bodily fluids. Two nations have already successfully dealt with this disease and, if we do get it, we know how we can prevent it and treat it. So it is entirely appropriate that we adopt a domestic focus and then a regional focus.

In relation to those opposite and their comments on our international support, I wholeheartedly endorse what this government is doing. The Minister for Health and our foreign affairs minister are dealing with this in a way that represents good government. They are not irresponsibly sending our personnel overseas when we cannot guarantee that, if they become infected, we can evacuate them. It is a 30-hour evacuation. The pods only have five hours of protection, so we need to have patients treated in a field hospital in-location, which does not yet exist. Even when it does, if the UK plan gets up, it will have bedding for 12. So, Senator Di Natale, if you would like to take your chances and head over to West Africa and provide some primary health care, just remember that we cannot evacuate you yet and look after you.

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Reynolds, please direct your remarks through the chair.

Senator REYNOLDS: Through the chair, I would like to remind those opposite that, even if they go over today, we cannot yet evacuate them in time. Possibly, as the foreign minister has said, we will continue negotiating with the UK and others for access to a field hospital that does not yet exist.

Senator O’Sullivan interjecting— Senator Di Natale interjecting—

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I remind senators that Senator Reynolds has the right to be heard in silence. Thank you, Senator Reynolds, if you would like to continue your remarks.

Senator REYNOLDS: It would be highly inappropriate to send our personnel overseas. We have at least 20 or 30 Australians who are now working with other organisations in West Africa and that is entirely appropriate. If Senator Di Natale, as a doctor, would like to go over there, there is nothing today stopping him from doing that. But he would have to remember that, if he goes over there, the Australian government does not yet have a guaranteed way to get him home in under 30 hours. It may take longer. And the UK does not yet have a field hospital that he could be treated in, so in that circumstance it would be irresponsible of the government to do so. This week there was a quote from infectious diseases expert Dr Nick Coatsworth from the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, who used the analogy:

If they can’t get you to a first-world intensive care unit in a reasonable time frame, it would be like sending in the SAS into Afghanistan with no helicopters to get them out.

(Time expired)

Question agreed to.