Katie Allen (Higgins, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So many of us have come together to support our fellow Australians as they compete on the global stage at the Tokyo Olympics this past fortnight. We have seen inspiring sportsmanship, breathtaking comebacks and Olympic and world records smashed. Our Australian Olympians' skills and determination, not only to face the challenges that COVID has presented but to push through it all, get to the other side and reach that goal of being at the Olympics, have been simply inspirational. That's why I'm wearing this green and gold scarf today; it shows the true grit and determination that is so fundamentally Australian.

But it's not only athletes who have been showing grit and determination over the last year. It's everyday Australians, who have faced this global pandemic and its terrible consequences together. Importantly, it's the frontline workers—workers who are getting up each and every day to support our fellow Australians, whether it be at the checkout and helping Australians with their groceries through lockdown; or the testing clinics that have dealt with hundreds of thousands of people in a day across our nation; or the vaccination hubs that are now delivering more than 200,000 vaccines per day; or our GP and hospital workers, identifying and caring for those who are seriously ill with COVID. They're all delivering healthcare services and care for our community through this pandemic.

There are so many who are working behind the scenes to bring this pandemic to its knees. They too are our local champions; they too are our national heroes. It's like the pathologists, doing our testing; our contact tracers, who are racing to stop the spread of COVID through the community; or our public health advisers, getting the strategy right for 'Team Australia'. I've been proud to be part of the National COVID-19 Health and Research Advisory Committee, which has met every single week since the pandemic began, co-chaired very ably by local constituent and CEO of the Doherty Institute, Professor Sharon Lewin, and the Commonwealth's Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd. Over 90 health and research experts in their fields have worked together, often in their own time, to deliver expert, informed and evidence-based advice that has been vital to the federal government's successful COVID response.

Just like our Olympians, we all have the power to control the outcomes of this race by stepping up and pushing through. We can all put our shoulders forward and get vaccinated when it's our turn. Locally, in my electorate of Higgins, I am so proud that that's just what is happening. Dozens of local GP clinics; our local hospital, Cabrini; and our local mass COVID vaccination clinic at the Prahran Town Hall, which is run by Star Health, are all working hard to ensure they vaccinate as many as possible quickly and safely. Star Health recently set a new PB—personal best—passing 8,000 COVID vaccines administered in a week. Congratulations! I know that you have set an even higher aspiration as vaccine supply now accelerates into Q4 right across the country.

As Australians, we should all welcome the news that the Prime Minister has secured the support of our premiers and chief ministers around the country to keep moving forward in our fight against COVID through the announcement of a national four-step plan. This plan now has clear vaccination targets to drive us on and to bring the rollout home for Australia as modelled by the Doherty Institute, that we heard from today. Right now we're in the suppression phase, where the only way to stay ahead of the new delta strain is to have quick and short lockdowns. We now need 70 per cent of our adult population to get vaccinated to move to the next phase, when we can start saying goodbye to lockdowns. When we hit 80 per cent, lockdowns should become a thing of the past.

We heard today from the Doherty Institute experts in Melbourne that we can now safely take these steps and not fall over again and run out of control, as we have seen in other countries that have tried. To all Australians who want to finish this race a little faster: we can all contribute to the speed-up of this rollout. Australians: arm yourselves. See your GP about getting vaccinated. Let's finish the job and bring this virus to its knees. My plea to those opposite is to get behind this. Now is not the time to play politics; use your platforms to bring supporters across the political divide along on a winning strategy for Team Australia.