Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Parliaments around the world have seen oppositions and the government of the day working together. We've seen it in states within Australia, we've seen it in the US, we've seen it in the UK and we've seen it around the world, but, here, every day, there is nothing more than politicking.

An opposition member: Really?

Yes, really. We've been doing everything that we've been able to do to support Australians through this tough time. We have one of the lowest death rates from COVID-19 in the world. We've got more people in the workforce than ever before. We're very fortunate to be living the many freedoms and opportunities those overseas have not seen since this global pandemic began. Even in the situations that face us today in Sydney, the Berejiklian government is responding quickly, testing and tracing. Contact tracers are doing an incredible job. And, through the co-funding arrangements we struck with the states right at the beginning of the pandemic, we're sharing the financial load of all the testing and tracing.

Those opposite are supposed to be the alternative government. Aren't they meant to be offering better solutions to the problems that we face here in Australia? No, we're just seeing a pandemic used for politics, because all we hear is negativity, and that's all we're hearing this afternoon.

I'd like to inject some positivity into this debate. I want to remind the House of how we've helped the people in my electorate, in my home town of Townsville, and how we've used the laser-sharp focus of their needs throughout this global pandemic. Firstly, on the health front, we haven't had a positive case of COVID-19 in Townsville since basically the start of the pandemic. We've never had a case of community transmission. This is a testament to the hard work of the people of Townsville, who stayed home, whose businesses were closed down and who, even through the financial stresses they were facing, still did the right thing. There was the Prime Minister's work with the national cabinet to implement tough but lifesaving restrictions. We also made sure people who were locked down, isolated or vulnerable still had access to the support of their GP by fully subsidising telehealth appointments through Medicare. There have been more than 200,000 telehealth consultations through the pandemic in Herbert, and this number is only set to grow as we extend this service.

On the economic front, JobKeeper and JobSeeker saved our city from a potential collapse. We've helped 27,100 people keep their jobs thanks to JobKeeper, and we're helping 4,000 businesses weather COVID-19. We should be working together for the betterment of Australia, not senselessly politicking.

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