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

The Leader of the Opposition, in framing that question in that way, I think discourages the great work that has been done by states and territories around the clock for the last 18 months, because, when we came together in March last year and we were faced with one of the most urgent crises, with people returning to this country who could potentially be COVID-infected, all of us together—states, territories and the Commonwealth—agreed that the most effective way to deal with this crisis was to ensure we put in place a system of hotel quarantine which all the states and territories signed up for, and that has had a success rate which the rest of the world has envied. I know that because I have discussed it with those leaders. Those opposite may wish to pretend that any system of quarantine can operate with 100 per cent effectiveness, but that would be foolish, that would be unrealistic and that would be seeking to simply undermine the efforts that have been put in place, have saved 30,000 lives and got a million people back to work. Our national plan is going to ensure that we can open this country up again when we do reach those 70 and 80 per cent vaccination rates and that we can live with the virus into the future—something about which those opposite have cast doubt.

See this speech in context