Covid-19: Hydroxychloroquine

The majority voted in favour of disagreeing with a motion to suspend the usual procedural rules - known as standing orders - to allow a vote to happen.

Motion text

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for McMahon from moving the following motion—That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) on 25 August 2020, the Member for Hughes gave a speech in the Federation Chamber supporting the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19;

(b) in his speech, the Member said that "media bias", "groupthink" and the "complete abandonment of reason" were driving a "war" on hydroxychloroquine and "the big hand of government … interfer[ing] in a doctor-patient relationship", and cited a number of medical commentators including:

(i) Professor Christian Perronne, who is being investigated by the French College of Physicians for his comments on hydroxychloroquine;

(ii) Dr Harvey Risch, who was rebuked by 25 Yale University colleagues for promoting "conspiracy theories, purported hoaxes, and the views of zealots"; and

(iii) Dr Kulvinder Gill, who was criticised by other Canadian doctors for misleading tweets on hydroxychloroquine;

(c) in Australia, potential therapies are assessed for safety and efficacy by the independent Therapeutic Goods Administration, and the TGA "strongly discourages the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 … or prevent COVID-19"; and

(d) the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, comprised of 29 peak health bodies, has also advised that "hydroxychloroquine is potentially harmful and no more effective than standard care"; and

(2) affirms that it is the responsibility of all public officeholders to acknowledge and support the independence and expertise of the TGA and counter misinformation and conspiracy theories.