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

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. I refer to comments by the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian in relation to quarantine, when she said, 'In the future, you can't have a hotel built for tourism as a quarantine facility.' When will the Morrison government do its job and create a safe, national quarantine system?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our ability to keep Australians safe is the envy of the world. The quarantine system, which came about as a result of national cabinet, using hotels for quarantining, has worked largely successfully. It has. We have indeed placed health as the No. 1 priority as we work through COVID-19. We've also made sure we had the economic outcomes. We've put the money into the budget, in successive budgets, to build into a better place out of COVID-19.

So we've made sure that we're strengthening the economy, but we're doing it at the same time that we're placing at the heart of everything we do the welfare and the health of Australians. Indeed, the federal government stands ready to take any detailed submissions from state governments to build quarantine facilities, but there will be criteria around such facilities. They will have to be close to an international airport where there are international routes. They will need to be close to a tertiary hospital such that there are extremely good medical facilities and medical experts there to help with any outbreaks. We are making sure that, if it comes to quarantining, we've got an MOU with the Victorian government on quarantining. But, when you look at the statistics worldwide, you see the latest figures in the United States—615,000 deaths—and that is tragic. They have a very good health system in the United States. In the UK 127,000 people have lost their lives.

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

I say to the Acting Prime Minister he's drifting off what was a very specific question. He's been relevant up until this point, but there's not an opportunity to compare and contrast in the regard that he is internationally.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. I know I would prefer to live in Australia than anywhere else, and that is because of the health outcomes that we have put in place, the funding that we have put in place for vaccinations, the funding that we have put in—

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

I'm sorry; the question was very specific, relating to a quote from the New South Wales Premier. He's certainly been very relevant to it up until this point. He needs to return to that or wind up his answer.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And we have made sure that the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory has an additional $500 million to make sure that there are additional beds and additional facilities in that quarantine facility. As I said, we've got a memorandum of understanding with the Victorian government and we stand ready, whether it's New South Wales or any other state and territory. If they want to work with us and partner with us to build more quarantine facilities, providing it through the right criteria that have been established and through the national cabinet process, we are happy to work with them.

Milton Dick (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. There have been 22 COVID outbreaks from hotel quarantine since the start of the pandemic. Why has the government rejected a proposal for a purpose-built quarantine facility in regional Queensland which would provide local jobs and keep Australians safer from coronavirus?

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

Before I call the Acting Prime Minister: I should have alternated and gone to the member—

An opposition member interjecting—

No, hang on. I've got a better seat than you. If we want to play that game, it will play both ways. So what I'm going to do is we'll go to the question that's been asked and then we'll make it up on the other side. The Acting Prime Minister has the call.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Apropos of my previous answer, we are happy to work with any state, any territory to build a proper quarantining facility so long as we've got those criteria answered as well as local community support. But we're not going to subject regional areas to any potential outbreaks, because regional areas have been the safest place in all of the world during this COVID-19 pandemic, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else other than regional Australia right now, because it has proven to be leading the economic recovery out of COVID-19 and the safest health-wise in all of the world.

But we are happy to work with the Queensland government—

Ms Catherine King interjecting—

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

The member for Ballarat will leave under standing order 94(a). Members on my right will cease interjecting.

The member for Ballarat then left the chamber.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are happy to work with the Queensland government should they decide to bring a detailed proposal that meets the criteria. We are happy to talk with them.