Australian Home Affairs Minister Stands Firm on Virus Inquiry

Australian Home Affairs Minister Stands Firm on Virus Inquiry
Australia's Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington,DC, March 5, 2020 MANDEL NGAN/ Getty Images
AAP
By AAP
Updated:
Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is standing firm on the need for an independent inquiry into the origins of the CCP virus outbreak in China, even as the regime accused Australia of playing “political games” without explaining its own behaviour during the pandemic.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne raised the idea of an international inquiry a week ago, calling for greater transparency on how the virus originated and how it was subsequently handled.

“We want more transparency within the communist party of China in the way they have dealt with this virus issue,” Dutton told Sky News on April 26.

“If not just to understand how we can defeat this threat into the future when you have got these wildlife wet markets where the flu may have originated from.”

He said there needs to be reassurance globally this is not going to happen again in 12 months or two years time.

“We need a level of reassurance that’s not there at the moment,” he said.

Communist China has described the independent review proposed by Australia as “political manoeuvring.”

By Colin Brinsden
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