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The Minister for Aged Care, Youth and Sport, Senator Richard Colbeck, has shouldered heavy criticism that the Federal Government has handled the COVID-19 outbreak poorly — not delivering consistent messaging and lagging behind other parts of the world in its response to the crisis.
y points:
- Bill Bowtell, who helped lead Australia's response to the AIDS crisis, said we were lagging behind the world over coronavirus
- Panellists were angry the government had sent a junior minister to answer questions
- The Minister for Aged Care, Youth and Sport did not know how many virus test kits Australia has access to
A panellist on Monday's episode of Q+A, Senator Colbeck's chief accuser was Bill Bowtell, who is now Adjunct Professor at the University of NSW, but in the early 90s led Australia's response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Mr Bowtell said multiple times that either Prime Minister Scott Morrison or Health Minister Greg Hunt should have been there to field questions, but in their absence Mr Colbeck was placed under a harsh spotlight.
"We need honesty, truth and transparency, all of which has been in remarkably short supply," said Mr Bowtell, who was not in the studio — the episode was shot without its usual live audience due to the coronavirus.
"The panic is out there because the lies and misinformation have been circulating in the Australian community for weeks and weeks and weeks.
"We need to know, for example, tonight, from Senator Colbeck or Minister Hunt, who is not here, or the Prime Minister, who is not here, the answer to one question: How many test kits are there?
"And what are the rules and conditions under which they'll be distributed?
"I see tonight, a panic buying of testing kits and so on is to be flown in by pharmaceuticals — I'd like to know those numbers. There's no reason they should be kept secret or hidden."
Senator Colbeck did not know the answer to that question.
"I can't tell Bill tonight how many test kits there are available," Senator Colbeck said.
"It is public knowledge, though, that there is a shortage of some of the chemicals that go to making those up.
"That's one of the reasons that we've said … we wanted the people who have the prerequisites for being tested to be the ones that get tested."
Senator Colbeck then reiterated that due to the shortage of test kits only those who fit the criteria for urgent testing should be tested and blamed "misinformation" for other Australians waiting in line for tests.
"We were talking earlier tonight about the worried who might have a tickle in their throat, they might have a headache, they might have a cough, but they don't have the prerequisites for being tested, and yet they're turning up at the clinics," he said.
"That goes to some of the other misinformation that's been put around in the community."
Host Hamish Macdonald pointed out that while state governments in NSW and Victoria had put out projected estimates, the Federal Government had not.
'You didn't move early, you moved late'
Senator Colbeck began to answer by saying the Government had taken action to "slow down the growth of the virus within the country", before Mr Bowtell cut him off.
"Rubbish!" Mr Bowtell interjected.
"You didn't move early, you moved late, that's rubbish."
Senator Colbeck then said "the growth in the rate of spread is because we moved early," before Mr Bowtell again turned on the Prime Minister for not being there.
"Richard, with all due respect, you are speaking like a politician," he said.
"You are not ahead of the curve.
"The Minister for Health in New South Wales today said we are facing exponential growth.
"The hospitals can't cope with that, the people can't cope with that. You've had since the beginning of January to do this.
"When the situation got serious in Taiwan, they created a national unified command, I think on January 20. Eight weeks ago.
"Nothing like that was done here.
"On Friday, the PM said bans on meetings of 500. But not on Friday. On Monday. Today the US said 50. In Austria it's five. Have you not looked at the calamity that's overtaken Italy and France and Denmark and Austria? And the success in Taiwan, Singapore? Have you not looked at it?"
Public education campaigns 'a bit late'
Mr Bowtell went on to say Australia did not have a public education campaign, which Senator Colbeck refuted by saying Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy had been front and centre throughout.
"That's why we've had Professor Brendan Murphy making statements every day, yes, with the PM, because that group, that he chairs and works with in the context of being the specialists to provide advice to government, that's why he's been there every day to undertake that role," Senator Colbeck said.
"It's unfortunate we've had other voices that have split off from that process, which I agree has confused the message."
Another panellist, Former AMA President Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, was concerned about the education campaign rolled out on the weekend.
"My fear is that it has come a bit late, the advertising campaign," Dr Haikerwal told Q+A.
"I think the level of fear has gone up."
The fate of casual workers
Another issue discussed was how those in casual jobs might fare above a Newstart allowance if businesses close.
Business and sustainability advisor Sam Mostyn said businesses had to work with the government on solutions for them.
"You've seen global businesses with presence in Australia like Nike and Apple, that are closing their stores, are guaranteeing they're going to pay the rates of their casual and full-time employees and making it quite clear at the very beginning," Ms Mostyn said.
"The package we saw come out last week, the $17 billion, does a lot of good work in putting money into the economy to try to help with those who will be most affected, but it does leave a huge number of people, probably 40 per cent of the population, who are in insecure work who don't have any guaranteed rights, and not knowing where they'll get their money.
"They're very vulnerable. If they come down with any form of the virus and have to isolate themselves, I'm not sure they have confidence about where the money will come to them."
Topics: infectious-diseases-other, respiratory-diseases, australia
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