|
representatives vote 2020-08-27#1
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2020-08-28 12:07:45
|
Title
Motions — Covid-19: Hydroxychloroquine- Motions - Covid-19: Hydroxychloroquine - Stop McMahon MP from speaking
Description
<p class="speaker">Chris Bowen</p><p>I seek leave of the House to move the following motion:</p><p class="italic">That the House:</p>- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debates/?id=2020-08-27.3.2) to stop McMahon MP [Chris Bowen](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/mcmahon/chris_bowen) (Labor) from speaking any further in this debate. Motions like these are known as *gagging motions*.
<p class="italic">(1) notes that:</p><p class="italic">  (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;</p><p class="italic">  (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:</p><p class="italic">     (i) Professor Christian Perronne, who is being investigated by the French College of Physicians for his comments on hydroxychloroquine;</p><p class="italic">     (ii) Dr Harvey Risch, who was rebuked by 25 Yale University colleagues for promoting "conspiracy theories, purported hoaxes, and the views of zealots"; and</p><p class="italic">     (iii) Dr Kulvinder Gill, who was criticised by other Canadian doctors for misleading tweets on hydroxychloroquine;</p><p class="italic">  (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—</p> <p class="speaker">Tony Smith</p><p>The member for McMahon will just pause for a second. I've made this point previously about motions. I have been looking at the clock. A motion—the majority of it—needs to contain a concise proposition the House can determine. The member for McMahon, I can see, has one page—I hope it's only one.</p><p>An opposition member interjecting—</p><p>No, I'm just going to make my point. It's been a while since we sat, and he's in company with a number of others. If this persists, I'll need to take action to return to the practice of many decades ago. The member for McMahon needs to come to what the proposition is, not debate in the way that he would at other times during the day.</p> <p class="speaker">Chris Bowen</p><p>I understand, and I appreciate that. The motion continues:</p><p class="italic">  (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</p><p class="italic">(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.</p><p>Leave not granted.</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for McMahon from moving the following motion—That the House:</p><p class="italic">(1) notes that:</p><p class="italic">  (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;</p><p class="italic">  (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:</p><p class="italic">     (i) Professor Christian Perronne, who is being investigated by the French College of Physicians for his comments on hydroxychloroquine;</p><p class="italic">     (ii) Dr Harvey Risch, who was rebuked by 25 Yale University colleagues for promoting "conspiracy theories, purported hoaxes, and the views of zealots"; and</p><p class="italic">     (iii) Dr Kulvinder Gill, who was criticised by other Canadian doctors for misleading tweets on hydroxychloroquine;</p><p class="italic">  (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</p><p class="italic">  (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</p><p class="italic">(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.</p><p>These are difficult times. There is a lot of misinformation—</p> <p class="speaker">Alan Tudge</p><p>I move:</p><p>That the Member be no longer heard.</p> <p class="speaker">Tony Smith</p><p>The question is that the member for McMahon be no further heard.</p>
|