Australian Senate Committee Hearing Yesterday: Covid-19 Vaccination Status & Discrimination

The Australian Senate
Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Covid-19 Vaccination Status (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill 2022 and the Fair Work Amendment (Prohibiting COVID-19 Vaccine Discrimination) Bill 2023
PUBLIC HEARING
Thursday 3 August 2023, Scheduled for 17:00 AEST
Committee Room 2S3
Parliament House, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Video Links

1. aph.gov.au
2. aph video player
3. youtube mirror

This is very interesting. I will be reviewing the transcript once published because there were several specific questions regarding indemnity, negligence and liability which I need to know more on.

Indemnity Questions

Here's one of example of a question from the transcript where Senator Alex Antic asks Dr Brian Hewitt, head of Regulatory Sciences, Australia.

00:50:38 - Senator AA
"Has Pfizer notified it's Underwriters of the potential for future litigation as a result of claims? Or will those claims be offset pursuant to an indemnity given to (sp. given "by") the Australian Government?"
00:50:47 - Dr BH - Pfizer
"Uh, I can't answer that one Senator. We'll need to take that on notice."

Another great example

01:12:57 - Senator Malcolm Roberts
"Does the indemnity you have with the government extend to provide you with indemnity in a situation where an employee is forced by their employer to undergo vaccination and then experiences harm? And if you do have indemnity, I want the proof."
01:13:12 - Dr KT - Pfizer
"Senator, any indemnity agreement between Pfizer and the Australian government are confidential and we are not able to discuss that in this forum."
01:13:22 - Senator MR
"Why are they confidential? Because as a taxpayer I paid for those injections even though I didn't take any.
Why are they confidential from taxpayers? 26 million Australians?
What are you hiding?"
01:13:35
"Senator, indemnity agreements between the Australian government and private organisations such as Pfizer are confidential. I'm not at liberty to discuss that."
01:12:44 - Senator MR
"Why are they confidential? The people who paid for these injections, can not see what they've actually bought.
Why are they confidential? Why are you hiding?"
01:13:56 - Dr KT - Pfizer
"Senator, those indemnity agreements. Indeed contractually arranged, arrangements, as is always the case - between the Australian government and external governments - are confidential. And I don't have any information today that might assist the committee in relation to that."

Senator Malcolm Roberts is a capable inquisitor

01:15:55 - Senator MR
"Does your contract with the government for supply of covid injections include a clause that negates your indemnity in the event of Pfizer committing a crime such as fraudulent treatment of trial data?"
01:16:07 - Dr KT - Pfizer
"Uh Senator. Pfizer always abides by all of the laws and regulations of the markets in which it operates. It ablides by the high standards that clinical trial and all its operations"
01:16:18 - Senator MR
"Does your contract with the government for supply of covid injections include a clause that negates your indemnity in the event of Pfizer committing a crime such as fraudulent treatment of trial data?
The question is simple. What is the answer? Yes or No?"
01:16:34 - Dr KT - Pfizer
"Senator Roberts. As I had mentioned previously, the contents of Pfizer's contract with the Australian government remains confidential and i don't have any information that I can provide to the committee in relation to that."