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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. I refer to the Deputy Prime Minister's statement:

I just don't want the government any more in my life, I am sick of the government being in my life.

Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that government has a vital role to play in securing regional Australia's recovery from COVID, including through an effective vaccine rollout and the creation of national quarantine? Isn't that just a wacky thing for a Deputy Prime Minister to say?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I suppose I was reflecting on what would happen if the member for Grayndler were the government and I must say that, at the time, it was terrifying. I was overcome with fear and trepidation as to what might happen if the Labor Party were to lead the government! But later on, after I'd cooled down, I realised that we were the government and everything was fine! But when we go to the rollout, I think that 6.6 million people have now been part of the process of being vaccinated, and that's a great outcome—one in four adults. Australia has got nothing but a sense of pride in what we've been able to do compared with other areas, where hundreds of thousands of people in other nations have died. Millions of people have died from COVID, but Australia has been so blessed. We've been so fortuitous and we've also had the best government in place. It's because of the diligence of this—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left and the Leader of the Opposition!

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A rowdy lot, aren't they? It's because of the diligence of this government and the work of the health minister that we've had the capacity to keep Australians safe and to give them confidence and that we know how to make sure that we get the Australian people to the other side of this pandemic. Now I defer to the Minister for Health and Aged Care, who will add to my answer.

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

I'm delighted to support the Deputy Prime Minister.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm just trying to work out the basis on which the Deputy Prime Minister can refer to the minister for health on a question that is about why he's made a personal statement.

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

No, the question also referred to a number of other things, including the vaccine rollout, for which the minister for health has square responsibility. The minister for health has the call.

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

Indeed, in particular, what we've seen in the last 24 hours is 128,000 Australians step forward to be vaccinated, significantly more than we were anticipating at this point in time, and I think a very heartening response for Australia. Last week ATAGI made a decision which reflects the medical advice and which we respect, but this week Australians have stepped forward. And they've done so right across Australia, in the cities, in country towns and in regional areas, exactly as the Deputy Prime Minister was saying. What we have seen now is that we have over 27 per cent of all Australians who've been vaccinated—over 48 per cent of those over 50 years of age. We have over 65 per cent of those that are over 70 years of age. All of these things are coming together to mean that, whether you are in the country or in the city, whether you are in rural or regional Australia or in any part of Australia, you are being kept safe and you are keeping others safe by stepping forward to be vaccinated.