Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The battle against COVID-19 continues, as particularly those in Victoria will know, with the disappointing news that has been announced today. But Victoria and Australia will continue to overcome, as we have throughout the course of the pandemic. As I referred to in my earlier answer, the fact that we've had 700,000 vaccinations in the past week is a great indication of the way that Australians are rallying together around this program to ensure that Australians can be as safe as we possibly can be.

Just as we have prevailed on occasions before, so the national accounts data today shows how Australia's resilience and Australia's recovery is certainly underway. We have an economy that is bigger today than it was before the pandemic hit. Not only have we now got employment at a level higher than when the pandemic hit, but, after the shocking blow of the pandemic, and the pandemic recession it has caused, in the course of just one year we now have an economy that is bigger today than it was before the pandemic, and there are more people in work today than before the pandemic began. As the Treasurer, I'm sure, has already noted, this is a result in the national accounts that means that this is an Australians led recovery. In the data, we see the performance on households: families in their households and the consumption and believing in their economic future and taking decisions to support Australia. We have seen it in Australians building homes at record levels, supported by the HomeBuilder program, in the dwelling investment figures. And we've seen it with businesses investing: a business-led economy has been the outcome sought by our policies to restore growth in the Australian economy and to ensure that our growth in the economy can continue into the future. It shows that our plan is working. The Australian recovery plan set out by the Treasurer in the budget, this year and in last year's budget, shows that our plan is working to restore the Australian economy, and we've already have seen our economy grow to levels higher than before the pandemic hit.

But that's not the only threat that we face in terms of the pandemic. We will continue to remain focused on our national security and our regional security. The upcoming overseas meetings in the G7 will be important opportunities. I will be visiting Singapore on the way, to engage with one of our most important ASEAN partners, to secure our regional relationships and to secure our broader international relationships, which are so important to Australia's national security. I mentioned yesterday that I have been able to stand with the New Zealand Prime Minister, and we are on the same page on our national issues and national security. I hope the Leader of the Opposition can stand too, and be on the same page.

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