Wednesday, 9 February 2022

COVID-19 testing

Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:18): My question is to the Minister for Education in the other place. The use of free rapid antigen tests in schools has been expanded into kindergartens and child care. Children over the age of 12 are encouraged to conduct their own tests, while parents will have to test younger children. A number of the RATs contain a chemical called sodium azide, which may be toxic to animals if ingested. The safety data on this chemical recommends wearing of gloves and avoiding any contact with your skin. The coronavirus website includes an instruction sheet and a video, and there are no gloves worn. Minister, why has no warning been provided to parents in the video and the instruction sheet regarding the safe storage, handling and disposal of the rapid testing kits?

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:19): Firstly, President, I seek your guidance as to whether it is the Minister for Education or it is another minister.

The PRESIDENT: It is in question because it goes to schools, and we are talking about rapid tests and education, unless you take it on notice.

Ms TIERNEY: I would have thought that it would be the Minister for Health. But leaving that to one side, I am prepared to refer it to the Minister for Education for his consideration and for him to get back to you, Dr Cumming.

Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:20): I look forward to a minister responding to my question, and I do hope that the Minister for Education does not say it is the Minister for Health. I would love a fulsome response on behalf of our children and animals. I should also mention that the RSPCA has warned about the possible harm to animals that could be caused by these tests. A government video has been provided to assist parents, saying nothing about the safety, disposal or storage. The fact sheet provided says to dispose of the kit into household garbage, but not the recycling bin or the drainage system. Surely used kits should be safely disposed of in hazmat bins. Maybe members of Parliament should have these bins in their electorate offices and allow the public to actually dispose of them appropriately. Minister, are schools provided with these hazmat bins to allow for the safe disposal of the rapid antigen tests?

The PRESIDENT: I am really having a problem with that supplementary. I do not think it is related to the Minister for Education at all.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Dr Cumming, I told you I am struggling with the supplementary, and I am trying to work it out to give you another chance so you can direct your question to the minister.

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! Dr Cumming, as I said to you, the first question I have allowed to the Minister for Education, and the minister took that on board and will come back with an answer. The supplementary I am struggling with unless you want to direct it to the Minister for Education, because you cannot have two ministers on the same issue. So it is your choice, or I will rule it out.

Dr CUMMING: President, I will take your advice around the ruling to make sure it goes to the appropriate minister. I believe that it would be the Minister for Education, seeing that the rapid antigen test is for children. This is what we are talking about: the safety of small children and animals at home that the government is handing out these kits to, that we are making sure they are provided with appropriate information about wearing gloves because it is a chemical, plus provided with appropriate information on where they are meant to be disposed of. My question is: are the schools providing those hazmat bins so parents can bring them back? And I have also said, if the government—

The PRESIDENT: Thank you. That is okay.

Ms Pulford: On a point of order, President, this question goes to the welfare of animals and manufacturers’ instructions on a product approved by the Therapeutic Goods Association, which falls under the administrative remit of the federal Minister for Health. Minister Merlino is a wonderful Deputy Premier and a fabulous education minister, but he has no responsibility for the welfare of little animals in homes, and I would encourage you to draw some reasonable boundaries about questions in question time.

The PRESIDENT: I gave Dr Cumming a chance to come back with a different minister, and she came back, and I agreed the supplementary is in order.

Ms TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:25): In respect of the supplementary, my answer is the same as I gave to the substantive. I will refer the matter to the Minister for Education, whilst I recognise that the Department of Education and Training takes its advice on these matters from the Department of Health.