Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Fifteen minutes and, like the name Voldemort, he couldn't even mention the member for Dawson's name. So the race that was not a race is now a race. For me, this is very, very personal. I have been contacted on multiple occasions in the last few weeks by my medical colleagues and by my relatives who work on the front line in intensive care in hospitals that are really under the pump—under pressure—because of the outbreak that's occurring in Sydney. There were 356 cases today and 60 in ICU, many on ventilators. Six deaths were associated with the outbreak at Liverpool Hospital because of a healthcare worker who was infected. To have the Leader of the Opposition move this motion today, I can only say thank God and thank you. It is about time those in government called to account those on their side who are undermining our response to the pandemic.

To those whose statements are costing lives and to those who are doing everything they can to undermine our national response to the biggest health crisis in over a century—I don't just mean the member for Dawson; I mean the member for Hughes, of course, the captain's pick at the last election; Senator Rennick; Senator Canavan; and others who are doing their best to cause increasing fear and distrust and undermine our response at a critical time in this pandemic—this delta variant, make no mistake, is a different game. We still do not know how this is going to end. We have to do everything we can to maximise our response, to maximise our immunisation rates and to maximise our social distancing. Of course people are fearful of what's happening, and with fear comes distrust. Many in my electorate have lost their livelihoods. Many in my electorate cannot see how they're going to pay their next mortgage repayment, can't see how they can protect their own kids and can't see their kids even going back to school. Yet we have people on the government benches who are actively undermining our response.

I don't like to see healthcare workers as heroes. I'm sure the member for Higgins can understand this. They get up every day and they go to work—some of them putting their lives at risk—because that's the job they do, because they care about people and because they want to make sure that our response is the best it can possibly be. That's the job they've signed up for. The nurses, the doctors, the cleaners, the pathology technicians—they're the people that save lives. I don't save lives sitting here as a member of parliament, but I recognise that it is a huge privilege. And with that privilege comes a huge responsibility.

When I see people on any side of politics doing active harm to our response to this health crisis, it makes me angry. They should not be ignored; they should be called out on every occasion, because what they are doing is disgraceful. I think any sensible person would understand that the time has to come for them to be called out. In countries like India, Brazil and Indonesia, we've seen thousands, hundreds of thousands and, indeed, even millions of deaths. To call this pandemic a virus like the flu is surely beyond any reason, beyond any acceptability. That we have a government, a Prime Minister and members of the government who ignore it, don't call it out and allow it to be propagated on social media and in the national media as acceptable is just wrong.

The member for Dawson needs to be called out, the member for Hughes needs to be called out, the senators need to be called out, because we need to recognise the harm that they are doing. The Prime Minister was right: we have fantastic medical professionals in infectious diseases, epidemiology, vaccines, and we are very grateful to have them and very grateful for the way that they have tried their very best to keep us all safe. But to see members of the government, and members of other political parties as well, doing what they can to destroy our response and not criticise them and not call them out is just wrong. I should also mention a previous member of this House, Clive Palmer. It is shameful what he is doing. He is actually letterboxing and messaging those in some of the most vulnerable electorates in Sydney, trying to undermine our response to this pandemic.

Every one of us should take that responsibility very, very seriously. And I know most members of the government do. But I think it is no longer acceptable to ignore the absolutely disgraceful comments from the member for Dawson—things like: 'Masks don't work,' 'Masks make no significant difference to the spread of COVID-19,' 'Lockdowns don't work,' 'Lockdowns don't destroy the virus, but they destroy people's livelihoods.' Imagine if you are locked down in Sydney and you're a tradesman or a manual worker and you're hearing this message from a member for parliament. Imagine what that does to your confidence in the medical advice you're being given. Now, just think about that.

All of us in this place have a responsibility to keep people safe. What we do does actually matter. We're not there in intensive care sucking the secretions out of people who have a tube down their throat, breathing with the use of a respirator. We're not there with people who aren't able to visit their grieving mother or father who is terminally ill with COVID-19. But we can make a difference, and we can make a difference by calling out people who actively seek to undermine our response.

I'm so grateful for the Leader of the Opposition moving this motion. It's one that everyone in this House should support. I think it is time that we do all work together and condemn these people—condemn members of our parliament that are undermining our response to this great health crisis and condemn those in the media who are doing the same thing, who are undermining our response. We all have to do that. If we all do it together, that's what will make a difference. I worry about all my colleagues, and my relatives, who are working at the front line of health care, because they are putting their lives at risk. If we can reduce the number of patients in intensive care, if we can reduce that risk for our healthcare workers, that is a very, very good thing. They are doing the job that they signed up to do to keep us safe.

I mention also our police forces, who are charged with compliance and making sure people do the right thing. In Sydney at the moment, they are doing a fantastic job as well. I really fully respect the very softly, softly approach that the New South Wales Police have taken on this, and I congratulate them on the job that they are doing. But, as leaders in our community, all of us should be doing the right thing and we should be calling out those, like the member for Dawson and others, who are actively seeking, for their own benefit, to undermine our response.

Question agreed to.

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