Australian Centre for Disease Control Bill 2025 and another

The majority voted against amendments introduced by Kooyong MP Monique Ryan (Independent), which means they were unsuccessful.

What do the amendments do?

The wording of the amendments is available on openaustralia.org.au.

Dr Ryan explained the purpose of the amendments:

Amendment (1) refers to the definition of 'public health matters'. Each of the topics listed in the bill relates to forms of public health and harm, and it's clear and obvious that they should be the natural responsibilities falling within the scope of a well-defined and fulsome CDC. This amendment captures the additional harm of occupational exposures and the public health responsibility for injury prevention related to these. I note that the addition of public health exposures and occupational exposures has been supported by the Public Health Association of Australia and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, and even by the Australian Council of Trade Unions—a body with which the government may be familiar.

Amendment (2) refers to the functions of the director-general, which sets out the centre's advisory role and the intersections with and coordination of bodies with health responsibilities within the CDC. The health effects of climate change are captured under the existing definition of 'public health matters' in this bill, but what is not captured is the importance of the Centre for Disease Control in providing integrated advice in a matter of national and global consequence. These amendments aim to position the CDC as an authoritative and valuable contributor to the understanding of and policy advice on climate change impacts on public health, particularly in the absence of any other national body which currently has this focus.

Amendments (3) and (4) will ensure that the first statutory review of the act will be undertaken within the first three years, and every five years thereafter. The centre is an essential public health authority; we all agree on that. Scrutiny of the establishment and its functions at the earliest opportunity will ensure that it meets public expectations from early in its course.

Amendment (5) will introduce mandatory reporting on matters of national importance, the health effects of climate change, and pandemic preparedness. Its purpose is to inform. That should be a core responsibility of the Centre for Disease Control. It will ensure accountability and transparency of the centre's activities and the whole-of-government preparedness for public health emergencies. Even this weekend, we've seen that they are on the immediate agenda, with elephant seals on Heard and McDonald islands being affected by bird flu. The next pandemic could be months away—or even less time that that. We need to have reporting requirements which are focused on attention to and resourcing of priority areas. Amendment (5) will provide transparency around government approaches to matters of national importance. It will encourage the culture of science, expertise and public trust that we need, and it will safeguard the core purposes of the Centre for Disease Control. The reports will relate to two specific areas of public health which are of national importance.