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

That is what leaders do. They work with each other. It is the standard process for Commonwealth governments to engage in High Court cases involving those types of matters, as the previous government would've done and any other government has done. As the issue unfolded I discussed the matter with Premier McGowan and I worked through the issues with Premier McGowan. We took the decision, which we thought was in the best interest of the country and of Western Australia.

I know the Labor Party wants to only look at things going back; I understand that. I understand that. But what they will not acknowledge is that where there are issues that have to be turned around and addressed and fixed, that's exactly what we're doing. That's exactly what we're doing. So last night I was on the phone to a Labor Premier in Queensland and a Liberal Premier in New South Wales, as I am regularly, working through the issues. During the course of this last week, I've been working with the Western Australian Premier, working with the minister for transport and working with the assistant minister for transport, to resolve important issues regarding crews on ships entering Western Australia. We work every single day with the premiers and the chief ministers to work through the national response to COVID, which is to save lives and to save livelihoods. That's what the government is doing. That's what the state and territory governments are doing.

What the Labor Party is doing is politicising a health crisis for their own gain, and the Australian people can see it. Every single day: undermining the national vaccine program, undermining partnership, constant negativity. This is a leader of the Labor Party who couldn't even be bothered to come to Canberra to meet with the head of—

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