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Thursday, 27 August 2020
Page: 5854

Mr CRAIG KELLY (Hughes) (10:16): About half an hour ago we heard the most extraordinary attack on the reputation of Professor Harvey Risch by the shadow health minister of this country—statements that were a disgrace. What is Professor Risch under attack for? He has said, 'The evidence in favour of hydroxychloroquine benefit in high-risk patients treated as outpatients is stronger than anything else I've studied in my career.' He has 38 years as a professor of epidemiology, and you Labor people are criticising this gentleman without any idea what you're talking about. I have never seen a greater example of groupthink and inability to think.

Honourable members interjecting—

Mr CRAIG KELLY: But even since Professor Harvey Risch made those comments, some more studies have come to light. I hear the Labor Party say, 'There are no studies! What medical journal are you quoting from?' I will quote from the medical journal, the European journal—

Mr Hill interjecting—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Zimmerman ): Order! The member for Bruce is skating very close to being disorderly. I won't ask him to withdraw at this stage, but if he repeats the claims I will ask him to withdraw.

Mr CRAIG KELLY: I was asked what medical journals I read. I will quote from the European journal of internal medicine. You two might like to read it after and go and do some homework.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Hughes will direct his comments through the chair.

Mr CRAIG KELLY: This was a recent study, only out yesterday, by Dr Augusto Di Castelnuovo. What did Dr Di Castelnuovo say of his study? This was a study of 3,451 hospitalised patients in 33 clinical settings in Italy. His conclusion was—you might like to take this to your shadow health minister who has no idea what he's talking about—'We observed that the patients treated with hydroxychloroquine had a 30 per cent lower in-hospital mortality rate than those not receiving it.' That's 30 per cent fewer deaths. And you people are engaged in groupthink and not reading the evidence. The statements that we heard today from the shadow health minister of this country were a disgrace. This study out of Italy is not the only—

Mr Hill: I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Mr CRAIG KELLY: You don't want to hear the medical studies—the medical studies that you should be reading. You want to shut us down. What a disgrace!

The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Zimmerman ): Order! The question is that the member be no longer heard. As the question is unresolved, in accordance with standing order 188 it will be referred to the House.

Mr Hill interjecting—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Bruce will come to order or he will leave the chamber.