Senator RENNICK: I note that you have given $3.9 million to Professor Edward Holmes, and as an associate honorary professor at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control. He also mapped out the COVID genome in 2020 and is also claiming—and I watched his interview—that COVID is spread by a pangolin through a raccoon dog. I did not know those things hung out together in bars, but anyway. Have you done security checks on this money before you distribute it?
Prof. Wesselingh: We obviously expect the administering institution of which Professor Holmes would be a member, such as a university—
Senator RENNICK: Yes, Sydney University.
Prof. Wesselingh: Yes, I know that it is Sydney, but I am being general here. We would expect the administering institution to ensure that Professor Holmes adheres to all of the current guidelines and regulations on dual-use research and international interference, and obviously we work with our administering institutions and monitor their ability to do that.
Senator RENNICK: In emails that were released in Congress he was one of the people that conspired with Anthony Fauci to cover up the origins of coronavirus. Originally, they all thought it was a lab leak because of the furin cleavage sites. Now he has come out and is arguing this raccoon dog pangolin connection. Do you think—
Prof. Wesselingh: I am not supposed to express an opinion here, but the international expert opinion is clear that it is not a lab leak.
Senator RENNICK: No, that is not true at all. You can’t say that.
CHAIR: Senator Rennick, this isn’t an opportunity for an open debate. It is an opportunity for questions and answers.
Prof. Wesselingh: I can say that.
Senator RENNICK: Well, he has just made a statement that is entirely invalidated.
CHAIR: If you do have a question for the officials, you can place it, but it might be a good time to break for lunch at this point.
Senator RENNICK: Have you cleared with ASIO, with the intelligence agencies—
CHAIR: Senator, I’m suspending the committee. We are breaking for lunch. We will come back and the opposition will have the call again.
Senator RENNICK: So we can’t bring up the connection in the cover up—
CHAIR: Senator Rennick, that is a completely inappropriate thing to say about me as chair, and about the nature of this committee. I think you should withdraw it.
Senator RENNICK: I will withdraw. Okay. But I haven’t finished my question.
CHAIR: The committee is suspending for lunch. We will be suspending for 45 minutes
