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QUESTIONS ON NOTICE

Questions are currently being updated, please check back soon for previous questions.

Senator RENNICK: Okay. On the National Highway, Gore Highway and Newell Highway, as you may well know, that’s on a lot of black soil country. There have been a lot of heavy rains there in the last year or so. Who’s responsible when it comes to national highways for general repairs and maintenance? Because of all of this rain now, it’s just littered with potholes. You’ve got a highway here with big semis travelling on it. As I’m sure Senator Sterle will know, in times of emergency, which is what I consider this to be, that road is dangerous right now. Along the whole Newell Highway, you might be doing 110 down the road and you hit a pothole that’s half the size of a volcano. Is there anything being done to look at repairing those roads? Sorry about my ignorance; my question is: how much of that is a federal-state maintenance issue? Mr Meagher: The short answer is that maintenance is the responsibility of state and territory governments. The Australian government provides maintenance funding for roads that are on the National Land Transport Network. Senator RENNICK: Yes, which these are. Mr Meagher: We provide $350 million annually, Senator. Senator RENNICK: For the entire national— Mr Meagher: Correct. Senator RENNICK: That’s split up by— Mr Meagher: Yes, by jurisdiction. Senator RENNICK: Is that prorated on kilometres of road or population? Mr Meagher: It’s based on the road network, I believe. I am happy to take that on notice and confirm it.

07/11/2022

Senator RENNICK: Thank you. In order to get to the 43 per cent reduction by 2030, how many kilometres of transmission lines will need to be built? What will the cost of that be? Mr Dyer: I might consult. Ms Brunoro: We have to bear in mind that is a national target as well. The integrated system plan covers the eastern states. We can come back to you with some more analysis on that. Senator RENNICK: Didn’t you just legislate it? Hasn’t it been legislated now, the 43 per cent reduction by 2030? CHAIR: I think the answer, Senator Rennick, is that the transmission piece you are discussing is not the totality of the elements that will go to achieving the plan. Senator RENNICK: The reason I am asking is 2030 is only eight years away. My understanding is you have to get to 82 per cent renewables on the grid to get your 43 per cent reduction in CO2. Surely we must have a pretty clear plan and strategy in terms of how many transmission lines need to be built between now and 2030 to hook up enough renewables to get it into the grid, which is just eight years away. Ms Brunoro: Yes. We do. I’m happy to table some information about those key projects. Obviously, Marinus is one of them. There has already been an announcement on that. Senator RENNICK: How many kilometres of transmission lines will that involve? Ms Brunoro: Bear with me. I will have to add that up for you. I note that is a point in time estimate as well. Since the integrated system plan has come out, Queensland has already announced their energy security plan. They will be investing in significant transmission. I can give you a breakdown of the number of kilometres per the actual projects as it stands now and that are underway. We can add that up. Senator RENNICK: And that will get to 82 per cent renewables by 2030? Ms Brunoro: The projects we have in train do align with the projects that are in the integrated system plan, a step change scenario. That estimate from the Australian energy market operator is that it will deliver about 83 per cent renewables by 2030. So it is in line. Senator RENNICK: You can put a cost to that as well? Have we got an estimated cost of that? Ms Brunoro: We can pull out the estimated costs of those projects as they are going through the regulatory impact tests at the moment. Senator RENNICK: Sure. Ms Brunoro: And give a breakdown of them.

07/11/2022

Senator RENNICK: That is fair enough. I am curious because the GenCost report is often used as the basis to say that renewables are cheaper. But there’s actually a lot of what I consider flawed assumptions in there, one of them being that you don’t need any more transmission lines until renewables hit 50 per cent of the grid and there’s no recycling costs taken into account. So that is a comment. You don’t need to respond to that. In terms of all the transmission lines that you need to get built between now and 2030 to get to 82 per cent of renewables, have you got approvals for all that from the various landholders? CHAIR: Senator Rennick, I wonder whether Ms Brunoro will take this on notice. There is a lot of detail in what you are asking. Senator RENNICK: Well, we’re in estimates. That is what it is all about—asking for the detail. CHAIR: But rather than her sitting there and adding everything up from her notes, would you be happy to take that further detail on notice? Senator RENNICK: What I would like to know is how far progressed you are in terms of getting the relevant and required approvals from both landholders and state governments and various other bodies—national parks or whatever it may have to be—in order to get those transmission lines built by 2030. Ms Brunoro: The short answer I will provide is that those projects are at different stages of development and approval out to 2030. Some of those that are slated to be delivered in the latter part of the decade will be going through the engagement and consultation processes at a later point in time. Clearly, some of those arrangements are going to change with respect to the various landholders when we get there. We can let you know which projects have had engagement with the community and which ones are to come.

07/11/2022

Senator RENNICK: How much did that supercomputer cost? Dr Stone: The supercomputer? Senator RENNICK: Yes. How much did it cost? Dr Johnson: I can give you an exact number. We have a supercomputer that’s running as we speak. If you wish to wait a minute, I can get you the actual number. It’s of that order. Senator RENNICK: Right. Dr Johnson: Or, if you’d like an exact number, I can take it on notice. It’s around that— Senator RENNICK: I just find it interesting because everyone’s jumping up and down about your name change for 200 grand, and there’s a supercomputer that you bought for $40 million that homogenises data that I don’t think people are aware of at all. Dr Johnson: Yes. I’ll get back to you on that, but it’s of that order.

28/10/2022

47. Will the TGA ask for the all the data from the Pfizer trial including the data the Pfizer is trying to prevent from releasing to the public for a period of up to 55 years? 48. Has the TGA ask Pfizer for an explanation of why the company does not want to release data for up to 55 years? 49. If the data that Pfizer does not want to release is shown to be materially different in terms of safety and efficacy will the TGA sue Pfizer for damages or does the Pfizer indemnity extend to fraud and or non-disclosure? 50. On what basis does John Skerritt say that the data relating to the vaccine trials is thorough when not all data has been released, individual data wasn’t looked at and several areas including carcinogenic risks, immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, breast feeding women, reactions to other drugs and longitudinal studies weren’t completed? 51. How can the TGA say the Pfizer trial was relevant to the vulnerable population when only 4% of the trial group was over 75 when over 75% of people over 75 were hospitalised or died from Covid? 52. Could the TGA provide measurements of clinical outcomes in the initial Pfizer trial such as hospitalisations and deaths and subclinical outcomes such as inflammation and clotting?

24/02/2022

4. Why is the Health Department allowing AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) to censor Doctors and nurses on giving their views on the Covid vaccine? I have spoken to over 100 medical staff who are afraid of being suspended or have been suspended for giving their views on the dangers of the vaccine? 5. If AHPRA is not a government aligned body, then why isn’t the government protecting the right of medical staff to express their view freely without the threat of suspension? 6. I note neither the Chair or CEO of AHPRA are qualified doctors or nurses. Who gives AHPRA the authority to suspend doctors or nurses at a time there is a shortage of them in Australian hospitals for expressing their professional views based on their observations?

24/02/2022

114. There is now a published case report of two adolescent deaths following vaccination due to toxic cardiomyopathy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35157759/ and one article reporting on cardiac arrest after covid 19 vaccination. https://www.cureus.com/articles/83238-cardiopulmonary-arrest-after-covid-19-vaccination-a-case-report. Will the TGA halt the rollout of the vaccine for children and teenagers given that cardiomyopathy was initially identified as the reported side effect by Pfizer for teenagers? 174. Why did the TGA dismiss the reported and suspected death of a 14 year old girl from the Moderna vaccine as not being vaccine related? 175. If State governments can shut down the country over cases of Covid why wasn’t the vaccine rollout for teenagers halted while the reported death of the 14 year old girl was being investigated? 245. According to FOI 3586 there has been 8 reported teenage deaths to date from the Covid-19 vaccines. Why hasn’t the rollout of vaccines for teenagers and children been suspended in light of these reports?

24/02/2022

Senator RENNICK: Okay. On the National Highway, Gore Highway and Newell Highway, as you may well know, that’s on a lot of black soil country. There have been a lot of heavy rains there in the last year or so. Who’s responsible when it comes to national highways for general repairs and maintenance? Because of all of this rain now, it’s just littered with potholes. You’ve got a highway here with big semis travelling on it. As I’m sure Senator Sterle will know, in times of emergency, which is what I consider this to be, that road is dangerous right now. Along the whole Newell Highway, you might be doing 110 down the road and you hit a pothole that’s half the size of a volcano. Is there anything being done to look at repairing those roads? Sorry about my ignorance; my question is: how much of that is a federal-state maintenance issue? Mr Meagher: The short answer is that maintenance is the responsibility of state and territory governments. The Australian government provides maintenance funding for roads that are on the National Land Transport Network. Senator RENNICK: Yes, which these are. Mr Meagher: We provide $350 million annually, Senator. Senator RENNICK: For the entire national— Mr Meagher: Correct. Senator RENNICK: That’s split up by— Mr Meagher: Yes, by jurisdiction. Senator RENNICK: Is that prorated on kilometres of road or population? Mr Meagher: It’s based on the road network, I believe. I am happy to take that on notice and confirm it.

07/11/2022

Senator RENNICK: Thank you. In order to get to the 43 per cent reduction by 2030, how many kilometres of transmission lines will need to be built? What will the cost of that be? Mr Dyer: I might consult. Ms Brunoro: We have to bear in mind that is a national target as well. The integrated system plan covers the eastern states. We can come back to you with some more analysis on that. Senator RENNICK: Didn’t you just legislate it? Hasn’t it been legislated now, the 43 per cent reduction by 2030? CHAIR: I think the answer, Senator Rennick, is that the transmission piece you are discussing is not the totality of the elements that will go to achieving the plan. Senator RENNICK: The reason I am asking is 2030 is only eight years away. My understanding is you have to get to 82 per cent renewables on the grid to get your 43 per cent reduction in CO2. Surely we must have a pretty clear plan and strategy in terms of how many transmission lines need to be built between now and 2030 to hook up enough renewables to get it into the grid, which is just eight years away. Ms Brunoro: Yes. We do. I’m happy to table some information about those key projects. Obviously, Marinus is one of them. There has already been an announcement on that. Senator RENNICK: How many kilometres of transmission lines will that involve? Ms Brunoro: Bear with me. I will have to add that up for you. I note that is a point in time estimate as well. Since the integrated system plan has come out, Queensland has already announced their energy security plan. They will be investing in significant transmission. I can give you a breakdown of the number of kilometres per the actual projects as it stands now and that are underway. We can add that up. Senator RENNICK: And that will get to 82 per cent renewables by 2030? Ms Brunoro: The projects we have in train do align with the projects that are in the integrated system plan, a step change scenario. That estimate from the Australian energy market operator is that it will deliver about 83 per cent renewables by 2030. So it is in line. Senator RENNICK: You can put a cost to that as well? Have we got an estimated cost of that? Ms Brunoro: We can pull out the estimated costs of those projects as they are going through the regulatory impact tests at the moment. Senator RENNICK: Sure. Ms Brunoro: And give a breakdown of them.

07/11/2022

Senator RENNICK: That is fair enough. I am curious because the GenCost report is often used as the basis to say that renewables are cheaper. But there’s actually a lot of what I consider flawed assumptions in there, one of them being that you don’t need any more transmission lines until renewables hit 50 per cent of the grid and there’s no recycling costs taken into account. So that is a comment. You don’t need to respond to that. In terms of all the transmission lines that you need to get built between now and 2030 to get to 82 per cent of renewables, have you got approvals for all that from the various landholders? CHAIR: Senator Rennick, I wonder whether Ms Brunoro will take this on notice. There is a lot of detail in what you are asking. Senator RENNICK: Well, we’re in estimates. That is what it is all about—asking for the detail. CHAIR: But rather than her sitting there and adding everything up from her notes, would you be happy to take that further detail on notice? Senator RENNICK: What I would like to know is how far progressed you are in terms of getting the relevant and required approvals from both landholders and state governments and various other bodies—national parks or whatever it may have to be—in order to get those transmission lines built by 2030. Ms Brunoro: The short answer I will provide is that those projects are at different stages of development and approval out to 2030. Some of those that are slated to be delivered in the latter part of the decade will be going through the engagement and consultation processes at a later point in time. Clearly, some of those arrangements are going to change with respect to the various landholders when we get there. We can let you know which projects have had engagement with the community and which ones are to come.

07/11/2022

Senator RENNICK: How much did that supercomputer cost? Dr Stone: The supercomputer? Senator RENNICK: Yes. How much did it cost? Dr Johnson: I can give you an exact number. We have a supercomputer that’s running as we speak. If you wish to wait a minute, I can get you the actual number. It’s of that order. Senator RENNICK: Right. Dr Johnson: Or, if you’d like an exact number, I can take it on notice. It’s around that— Senator RENNICK: I just find it interesting because everyone’s jumping up and down about your name change for 200 grand, and there’s a supercomputer that you bought for $40 million that homogenises data that I don’t think people are aware of at all. Dr Johnson: Yes. I’ll get back to you on that, but it’s of that order.

28/10/2022

47. Will the TGA ask for the all the data from the Pfizer trial including the data the Pfizer is trying to prevent from releasing to the public for a period of up to 55 years? 48. Has the TGA ask Pfizer for an explanation of why the company does not want to release data for up to 55 years? 49. If the data that Pfizer does not want to release is shown to be materially different in terms of safety and efficacy will the TGA sue Pfizer for damages or does the Pfizer indemnity extend to fraud and or non-disclosure? 50. On what basis does John Skerritt say that the data relating to the vaccine trials is thorough when not all data has been released, individual data wasn’t looked at and several areas including carcinogenic risks, immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, breast feeding women, reactions to other drugs and longitudinal studies weren’t completed? 51. How can the TGA say the Pfizer trial was relevant to the vulnerable population when only 4% of the trial group was over 75 when over 75% of people over 75 were hospitalised or died from Covid? 52. Could the TGA provide measurements of clinical outcomes in the initial Pfizer trial such as hospitalisations and deaths and subclinical outcomes such as inflammation and clotting?

24/02/2022

4. Why is the Health Department allowing AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) to censor Doctors and nurses on giving their views on the Covid vaccine? I have spoken to over 100 medical staff who are afraid of being suspended or have been suspended for giving their views on the dangers of the vaccine? 5. If AHPRA is not a government aligned body, then why isn’t the government protecting the right of medical staff to express their view freely without the threat of suspension? 6. I note neither the Chair or CEO of AHPRA are qualified doctors or nurses. Who gives AHPRA the authority to suspend doctors or nurses at a time there is a shortage of them in Australian hospitals for expressing their professional views based on their observations?

24/02/2022

114. There is now a published case report of two adolescent deaths following vaccination due to toxic cardiomyopathy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35157759/ and one article reporting on cardiac arrest after covid 19 vaccination. https://www.cureus.com/articles/83238-cardiopulmonary-arrest-after-covid-19-vaccination-a-case-report. Will the TGA halt the rollout of the vaccine for children and teenagers given that cardiomyopathy was initially identified as the reported side effect by Pfizer for teenagers? 174. Why did the TGA dismiss the reported and suspected death of a 14 year old girl from the Moderna vaccine as not being vaccine related? 175. If State governments can shut down the country over cases of Covid why wasn’t the vaccine rollout for teenagers halted while the reported death of the 14 year old girl was being investigated? 245. According to FOI 3586 there has been 8 reported teenage deaths to date from the Covid-19 vaccines. Why hasn’t the rollout of vaccines for teenagers and children been suspended in light of these reports?

24/02/2022

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