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

As I said last week, anyone who thinks a prime minister has only two jobs doesn't understand what the job of a prime minister is. The job of the Prime Minister of course addresses the urgent crises we're dealing with over the course of the pandemic, but it also deals with the national security issues the country is facing on a daily basis. Were it not also for the economy and the importance of getting Australians back to jobs, the delivery of important services and education and health all around the country and, in particular, only last week, the important work we were able to conclude in bringing together the Closing the Gap implementation plan, so much championed by the Minister for Indigenous Australians—this country has many, many challenges, and it's our government's job to address all of those, including the big challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of the government's actions, working together with Australians all around this country, we know that Australia has one of the lowest rates of fatality from COVID-19 in the world. In addition to that, we know that after the COVID-19 recession last year more than a million Australians have found their way back to jobs, and that is under threat again because of the delta variant of this virus, which has been an absolute game changer for the COVID response. That has meant in countries that have vaccination rates higher than Australia, whether in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, or in Singapore or in Japan or in other countries where they have sought to open up, the delta variant has had a very different view. It would be a mistake if anyone in this place or elsewhere was to underestimate the impact of the delta variant in how countries all around the world are dealing with this challenge.

That's why I'm encouraged by my fellow Sydneysiders and those across New South Wales, who are dealing with the most difficult current lockdown. Yes, we want to see our kids back in school. I want to see my kids back in school. My kids are home-schooling like those of other parents across New South Wales, in this chamber, in Sydney and also in Victoria—wherever they happen to be. We want to see our kids back in school, but we want to see our communities safe and we want to see the right response in place to ensure that we can suppress the number of COVID cases that are there in New South Wales right now. That's why the lockdown is so necessary and the lockdown has to be effective.

Suppress and vaccinate: that is the phase we are in. And the next phase as part of the national plan, which we have brought all of the country alongside with, including all the state and territory premiers and chief ministers—and we are making progress against that plan, as I said—is one-in-four eligible Australians this week will be fully vaccinated. Next week, it will be one-in-two. And we need to continue that pace. Another record day: 260,000 and more vaccines have been delivered, and predominantly by GPs. (Time expired)

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