Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today as a proud Victorian and a proud Australian to say thank you to the tens of thousands of Victorians who are getting tested every day during this lockdown and to the tens of thousands getting vaccinated during this lockdown. I want to thank those who have been close contacts who are isolating. I want to thank those who are staying at home and keeping the rest of this country safe because there is no doubt this lockdown in Victoria is about keeping the rest of Australia safe, so we're doing our bit in Victoria and we're doing our bit in a situation where we know the federal government has failed in the vaccine rollout, they have failed in quarantine—two of their only jobs—but, more importantly, they are failing now.

Just now, outside this House, the member for Kooyong, who claims to be for forgotten Australians, who has forgotten 6.6 million fellow Victorians, has doubled down and said this federal government will offer no support for workers and no extra support for businesses in Victoria. So while in Victoria we're busy keeping people safe, the member for Kooyong has turned into someone who talks about potato scallops; the man has gone mad. He needs to come into this place and support Victorians who have no work this week because they're casuals, who are struggling to pay the rent and the mortgage this week because they're casuals. This federal government needs to take responsibility. They won't learn anything until they do.

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