I am far more worried about the threat of Ebola than any terrorist threat in Australia.
JayB and JoM couldn't give a damn about Ebola, but rather ensuring we have no more 'black Africans' coming to Australia....medical personnel or not.

This country has one of the best infection control systems in place in the world, and we are more than ready to handle any Ebola outbreaks, but surely it would be far brighter (and far less expensive in the long run) to send some of our expert medical teams to Africa to help stop it at the source?

But Tony isn't that bright....

Every single medical professional I have talked to agree that we should be more proactive at stopping Ebola in Africa.
If this Government wants to continue it's present plan to simply impose 'voluntary home quarantine' on those people returning from the trouble places in Africa, or imagine they can even know exactly where it's citizens went to while they were in Africa, then we will just wait for when, not if, Ebola makes it to our shores.

Talk about hiding their collective heads in the sand.....this Government is a disgrace!

Suseonline,

Why haven't you volunteered?

Those Greens who are comfy in their government limos and jets but are over keen for others to go, what about them too?

Meanwhile, the real volunteers will be appreciative of the Australian government taking the prudent course and ensuring there is suitable hospital back-up for them. See here,

"Australia seeks hospital back-up for volunteers in Ebola-hit countries
As Coalition signals change in policy on relief workers, minister wants to ensure that Australians can call on western-run medical treatment"

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/27/australia-seeks-hospital-back-up-volunteers-ebola-hit-countries

The Australian public would realise that the headline-hunting Greens and others are playing politics.

Greens, good at spending other peoples money and sending people where they are not prepared to go,

otb...and you started off so well...

"Why haven't you volunteered?

Those Greens who are comfy in their government limos and jets but are over keen for others to go, what about them too?"

The govt has dragged their feet over this - and that's obvious. They appear to have wished it would all go away, seemingly preferring all the other rich (and not so rich) countries to do all the dirty work. Weeks ago there were doctors and other suitably trained health officials volunteering to offer their services - while the govt, at that stage, came out with mealy mouthed excuses for not even bothering to initiate arrangements for evacuation procedures with our friends in the northern hemisphere.

It looks like Asia is now preparing big time for any possible outbreak...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/world/asia/as-ebola-spreads-asia-senses-vulnerability.html?smid=tw-share

"Senior officials in China and India have been scrambling to prepare their countries’ medical systems to cope with possible cases. In India, top officials overseeing policy on health, civil aviation, shipping and other related issues met on Oct. 16 to coordinate plans. In China, the National Health and Family Planning Commission has called for medical institutions across the country to upgrade infection-control precautions by the end of this month.

“The first thing at the top of their minds now is Ebola,...

Dr. Peiris, who is best known as a leader in the fight against SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, in 2003, said that flight and trade patterns between Asia and West Africa meant that five cities in the region would be at the front line in preventing Ebola from spreading: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in mainland China; Hong Kong, a semiautonomous Chinese territory; and Mumbai in India.”

runner,

"Greens, good at spending other peoples money and sending people where they are not prepared to go,"

Vacuous comment - people are volunteering, all they asked for was govt support.

OTB "Why haven't you volunteered? "

I am not trained for that sort of work, and in any case you are apparently the volunteer expert on this forum, as you constantly trumpet about yourself.
You must surely feel humble in your own presence?

There are plenty of other health professionals who are trained in infectious diseases medicine who would be willing to go, but couldn't afford to take all that time off work unpaid, nor afford the expenses involved if they did volunteer.

Unless the Government agrees to fund them of course, and therein lies the problem..
Why is this Government willing to risk all our soldiers lives overseas in a war we can't win, but not let medical staff go to Africa to win the war against Ebola?

Suse, because war isn't a suicide mission, even really devastating conflicts such as the Russia-Germany war in the 1940's killed about 10% of the combatants, the mortality rate for ebola is over 50%.