Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Back in March the Prime Minister said the vaccine rollout was 'not a race', and just last week the Prime Minister said he was not 'overly troubled' about low vaccination rates. Does the Prime Minister regret these statements?

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

Throughout the course of this pandemic we have taken proactive steps to ensure that Australian livelihoods and lives have been protected. Australia has been able to succeed in these areas like so many other countries haven't. That does not mean that we are in any way immune to the challenges of COVID-19, as the recent outbreak in Victoria has demonstrated. That's why we will always encourage Australians to take the vaccines and to take them by engaging with their local GP to put in place the network of GPs all around the country, who are doing around two-thirds of the vaccinations around Australia. By the end of this week, we anticipate some four million doses of vaccine will have been administered, despite the fact that we've had to deal with the challenges of the ATAGI advice, which has changed the nature in which the AstraZeneca vaccine could be used for those under the age of 50, and also because of the supply disruptions that we saw earlier in the year.

It is true that we did not take the approach of emergency procedures to take the approval process through the TGA. We did not go through that process of cutting any corners or taking any different process, because we wanted Australians to be assured that the approval processes for the vaccines went through the proper checks and balances, and, indeed, they did. It was because of that caution that we were able, through the processes of ATAGI and the TGA, to identify the issues of clotting that have arisen in other countries. As a result, the advice was able to flow through in this country. Australians have been in receipt of that advice and can be making their decisions about ensuring that their health interests are respected and protected according to decisions that they wish to make.

Whether it's the $7 billion we've invested in ensuring that these vaccines are available not just now and over the months ahead—indeed, the Moderna vaccines have been accessed by the government for booster shots next year because we know that this pandemic is raging. It's not going anywhere. There are no silver bullets. There are no guarantees. There are no certainties that can be provided in the middle of a pandemic. Our response is to work with Australians. Our response is to support Australians. We will keep fighting the virus. What others fight is up to them. We will keep fighting the virus and fighting the virus with other Australians right around the country, working with state and territory governments.

Importantly, I want to note that there are 28 Commonwealth funded respiratory clinics in Victoria that can be accessed now. I also remind people about the pandemic leave disaster payment, which is available for people in Victoria, who can access that payment if they have to stay home for 14 days to be isolated because they're a close contact or they're undertaking testing. Some $18 million, I think it is, has been provided— (Time expired)