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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the fact that just 15 per cent of aged-care workers have been fully vaccinated, even though the government announced that aged-care workers would be fully vaccinated by Easter. In April, the government announced that it would establish 13 dedicated pop-up clinics to vaccinate aged-care workers by the end of May. It's now June, but only three are operating. How many of those clinics are operating in Victoria today?

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

On workforce vaccinations, some 72,707 vaccinations of staff and non-residents have been completed through the Commonwealth's in-reach service, with 39,874 having received a first dose and 32,833 having received a second dose. One of the early decisions taken by the AHPPC, when asked to look into this matter by the national cabinet, was whether aged-care workers should have mandated vaccinations to be in residential aged-care facilities. When this was put to the AHPPC medical expert panel, they did not agree to recommend that. But I'll ask the minister to add further to the answer.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are five avenues for aged-care workers to be vaccinated across the country: firstly, through—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I'm addressing it; this is one of the avenues. Firstly, there is the in-reach program to which the Prime Minister has referred. Secondly there is the pop-up program.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the minister to pause for a second. Leader of the Opposition, before I call you, I do point out there was certainly a preamble to the question. At this point, I'm happy to take the point of order, but that will be it, of course, because you're only allowed one per question. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order.

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

Speaker, there was a preamble that went to the figures that the Prime Minister has repeated, which is 15 per cent have been fully vaccinated. There was just—

Government members interjecting—

It is; that's what the figure, when added up, works out at.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can hear the interchange. It doesn't matter whether the preamble is right or wrong; that's a matter for political debate that can be argued right through the week.

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

That's right. The question was that they promised 13 dedicated pop-up clinics to vaccinate aged-care worker by the end of May. Only three are operating. There was just one question: how many of those are in Victoria today? I'll give you a clue: it's a really round number.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the Leader of the Opposition, he doesn't need to add the commentary at the end. The Prime Minister had answered his portion of the question. The health minister had just begun. I think he was giving context. It was a very specific question, but it doesn't compel him to answer it instantly in the first three or four words. As he well knows from last week, I'll make sure that he's relevant to the question.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Exactly, there are five channels for vaccination. One is Commonwealth in-reach. Two is the pop-up program around Australia, and 18,887 workers have been vaccinated through the pop-up program. Yes, those facilities are about to be established within Victoria. In addition to that, there is the general practice program. In addition to that there is the GP respiratory program. In addition to that, there are state clinics, and in particular, state clinics are providing priority to aged-care workers. These clinics serve the same purpose within the Victorian context as a pop-up in another context.