Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's no understatement to say the most critical thing facing the government in our country is the successful rapid rollout of the vaccine across the country. It's the absolute key to opening up the economy fully, to enable business people to come and go, and to opening up trade. It's critical to lower the risk and the fear, over this winter, of further lockdowns across all of our major cities and regions. It's the key to opening the borders so that 44,000 stranded Australians abandoned by this government can finally come home. It's the key to getting tourists back on shore so we don't have to see ridiculous schemes for half-price flights to marginal seats, like the Prime Minister's dreamt up, and it's the key to welcoming hundreds of thousands of international students back to our country. They're paying fees; they need to come back. It's also representing a multicultural electorate. It's the key to people living their family lives. I have tens of thousands of people who haven't been able to see their parents. I've spoken to parents, partners, who have never met their children because they haven't got the right visa. It's key for Aussies to be able to travel.

This is why it is so concerning that the vaccination rollout is going way off the rails under this incompetent government. Across the world, 389 million doses of the vaccine have already been given. More than 50 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom have received at least one dose. Yet in Australia we're told, 'It's all on track. It's all going well. Tickety-boo!' That's not true. More than 99 per cent of Australians have not received a dose, not a single dose. The Prime Minister, in a bit of marketing spin, said, 'There'll be four million doses out by the end of March.' He said that. That's not going to happen. He's not going to hand out more than 3. 8 million in the next two weeks. The Prime Minister then said, 'We'll be fully vaccinated by the end of October.' Yet, on the very same day, the chief medical officer told the Senate, 'That's not going to happen.' So 'We'll try and get everyone, maybe, to have a first dose.' I don't believe a word. It follows his failures on managing the border and quarantine, and failure to accept responsibility for that and the vaccine.

I was shocked to hear from my electorate yesterday that that tosser Clive Palmer has been distributing leaflets—

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Please—

Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw 'tosser'. That Clive Palmer chap, the mate of the LNP, their big donor, has been distributing misinformation leaflets to my electorate and across the country, saying, 'Don't take the AstraZeneca vaccine.' Where's the Prime Minister calling that out, along with Senator Canavan? In six months, the world will be opening up and Australians will still be closed and locked up in their own country because of this government's incompetence. The Prime Minister loved to tell us we're all at the front of the queue: 'Australia's at the head of the queue. We'll get it first.' The only person who is at the front of the queue is the Prime Minister, in his stupid outfits and daggy caps. He got the vaccine first.

Mr Howarth interjecting—

Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Petrie on a point of order?

Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He should withdraw. The Prime Minister is leading by example and doing a good job.

Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He's the only person at the front of the queue. For the rest of Australia it's a long far queue from this Prime Minister. (Time expired)