Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is standing up for Australians by delivering on its plan to build a stronger, safer and more secure nation?

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

[by video link] I thank the member for Lindsay for her question. She knows that we are living in an increasingly uncertain world, and the government is taking action to keep Australians safe. That has been a core objective of our government—to keep Australians safe. The pandemic, the recession that it has caused, the escalating tensions in our region, the sophistication of criminal gangs and predators who would seek to harm Australians, particularly women and children, and the potential for resurgence of the people smuggler's trade is ever present. Standing up for Australia, standing up for our values and our way of life, not bowing to any coercion or pressure that might come from anywhere—

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

The Prime Minister will pause for a second. The member for Kennedy? The member for Kennedy has resumed his seat—good. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

Standing up for Australia, for our values and for our way of life, is what our government does.

Mr Burns interjecting—

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

The member for Macnamara will leave under standing order 94a.

The member for Macnamara then left the chamber—

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

But our government, also in keeping Australians safe, works to protect Australians from harm. In particular, that involves the work that the Australian government has done with the states and territories to keep Australians safe during this pandemic. Operation COVID Shield has now seen, with the vaccination program, almost two-thirds of over 70-year-olds having received their first dose; almost 50 per cent, 48.62 per cent, of over 50s having received their first dose; and over a quarter of Australians aged over 16 having received their first dose. On Monday, some 128,643 received a dose. That is the highest Monday record we've seen. Operation COVID Shield, led by Lieutenant General Frewen, is continuing to drive the vaccination program forward to put us in a position for all those Australians who wish to have a vaccination to have it before the end of the year.

There's the economic recovery plan handed down in the budget; the increased defence cooperation with our key allies and partners within the region and our Quad partners in Japan, the United States and India—and, importantly and increasingly, our defence cooperation with our European partners, with Germany, France and, of course, the United Kingdom; the increased powers for law enforcement and resources for law enforcement, which have seen us ensure that Operation Ironside, one of the most sophisticated stings of criminal gangs anywhere in the world, led by our own Australian Federal Police, had stunning results; and, of course, the new laws to protect Australians, particularly women and children online. Our government is working and acting to keep Australians safe in a very uncertain world. Our government can be relied upon to do that each and every day.