Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on how Australians are meeting the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in my home state of Victoria, and how the Morrison government is supporting us through this difficult time?

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

I thank the member for Higgins for her question I also thank her for her advice and her support, given her background, which has been referred to in this place before. It is tremendous for us to be able to draw on the many members that we have as part of our team as we work through what is an unprecedented time, and through uncharted territory. When I was with the Leader of the Opposition recently at the War Memorial, to mark the end of World War II, I referred to a statement of the then Prime Minister John Curtin, admired and revered in this place. He said to Australians during that time, 'No-one else can do your share.' What we saw then from Australians, as they went about their daily tasks under great adversity, we are seeing today from Australians, also understanding that they each are doing their share. That share involves reaching out and supporting each other. Their share involves following the instructions that are there to protect their health and wellbeing: to do social distancing; when they are sick, to get tested and stay at home; to wash their hands often; to download the COVIDSafe app; to do all the things that are necessary to support and to protect their own communities; and to reach out to each other to ensure that their mental health and support is being looked after on a daily basis.

There has been a national effort and, of course, the government has been joined in that effort and leading that effort with unprecedented economic supports—around $10 billion of additional supports through the health system, and an additional $1 billion in aged-care support. That support will continue to be provided.

But what I particularly want to say today to all Australians, particularly those in Melbourne and across Victoria, to those in border communities, that are dealing with the dislocation and the disruption to their lives, which can feel incredibly unfair—and, given the circumstances, is unfair but nevertheless is something that they are enduring and working through, with the great support of the many members here who represent them in this place—is: I thank parents for holding families together at this time. I thank doctors, nurses and aged-care staff doing difficult and dangerous work. I thank our retail staff; I had the opportunity to send a message to 120,000 at Coles, and I send the same message out to those at Woolies, Aldi and all the other retail stores across the country. I thank our cleaners, hospitals, shopping centres and offices, keeping us safe. I thank truck drivers, bus drivers and Uber drivers keeping our supply chains and people moving. I thank our farmers keeping food on the table, our shearers and our other agricultural workers, who are doing the same thing for food and fibre. I thank the tremendous public servants, who, across the country, have done an exemplary job. There are so many people to thank, but I just want to thank Australians themselves for their tenacity in the way they are dealing with this pandemic.