Greg Hunt refuses to condemn George Christensen and Craig Kelly's views on Covid treatment
The federal health minister has once again refused to condemn Coalition backbenchers Craig Kelly and George Christensen for continuing to push a debunked treatment for Covid-19 described by medical experts as “dangerous”, saying the pair were “entitled to their views”.
Despite federal medical experts ruling the drug hydroxychloroquine not be used to treat Covid outside clinical trials, with glaring questions over its effectiveness and impact on Covid patients, the two MPs have continued to campaign for the drug to be used.
On Wednesday, Greg Hunt said their claims were “a matter for them”, even though his own experts continue to push back against the drug until clinical trials are completed.
“My view is clear – we set out the medical policy based on the medical advice, others will set out their views, and I will leave it to them, and their views,” Hunt said.
“But I’m very clear. Our policies are determined on the basis of medical evidence and medical advice.”
Hydroxychloroquine was popularised by Donald Trump early in the pandemic, but despite mounting evidence from medical experts it could cause more harm than good Christensen and Kelly continue to use their public platforms to push for the drug’s inclusion in Australian treatments.
Most recently, a letter the pair wrote to the Queensland chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, has been delivered to Queensland residents. The letter calls on Young not to extend the ban on Queensland doctors prescribing the treatment, but that decision was made by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and upheld by the states.
The letter bears the commonwealth coat of arms and, at first glance, appears to come from the government.
Christensen confirmed to the Courier Mail the letter, which has appeared on his and Kelly’s social media pages, was real, but denied involvement in the letterbox campaign, pointing the finger at an unknown third party.
A spokesman told the paper Christensen stood by the content of the letter “and hopes hydroxychloroquine
will be available for doctors to issue as a treatment in Queensland”.
Hunt also refused to condemn Kelly in August, when the Hughes MP used parliament to lambast the drug’s restricted use, which he blamed on “groupthink” and claimed “the big hand of government” was interfering in the doctor-patient relationship. Kelly has no medical or science experience but his claims have been picked up and promoted by conspiracy theorists in recent months.
In spite of Kelly’s repeated attacks, including against the national Covid-19 clinical taskforce, set up by the federal government to advise on treatment options, Hunt has avoided criticising either him or, more recently, Christensen.
“In just the same way as I was referring to respect for differences in the mental health community there are others entitled to put their views [forward],” Hunt said on Wednesday.
“It’s not something we have adopted, we have followed the medical advice. Also, again on medical advice, we have supported a clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine through the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, led by Prof Doug Hilton, arguably one of the world’s great medical researchers at an institution which has held Nobel laureates in its numbers over the years.
“They are pursuing a clinical trial, we are pursuing the evidence-based medical policy.”
Labor, particularly the shadow health minister, Chris Bowen, has continually called for the government, including Scott Morrison, to condemn Kelly and Christensen’s “dangerous” views pushing for the drug to be made available.