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

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister had two jobs this year: fixing the bungled vaccine rollout and creating a safe national quarantine system. Don't the widespread lockdowns since this parliament last met show that the Prime Minister did have these two jobs and that he failed at both of them?

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

Anyone who thinks that the Prime Minister has only two jobs is not up for the job, because anyone who has ever occupied this office understands that the jobs are multitudinous: protecting our security interests, protecting the health of the country, ensuring that the economy is moving forward, that our children are educated, that our science labs' research potential is funded, that our railways, like the Inland Rail, are being built or that the Western Sydney airport is being constructed. Anyone who has done this job or who seriously thinks they can do it understands that any prime minister has more to do than that. But, when it comes to the focus, saving lives and saving livelihoods has been the task of our government, as we have come through this crisis, and I want to thank Australians. I want to thank every single Australian for their achievements over this past more than 18 months, because it has been their forbearance, their patience, their sacrifice, their commitment and their determination which, even today, mean that, in the past month alone, we have been able to double the double-dose vaccination rates across this country. That will ensure, as we now move to implement the national plan agreed across the country, that we reach a stage where we can live with the virus into the future.

If the opposition—the Labor Party—want to support this national effort, then I invite them to spend more time supporting the vaccination program than undermining it. I invite them to join the initiative, rather than engaging in bubbles without thoughts, which have come from the Leader of the Opposition today—ill informed, ill disciplined and not thinking of the consequences. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to come up with any alternative, he needs to inform himself, and he could start by talking to General Frewen who he has not yet sat down with—not once—since he came into the job. General Frewen is the person who is running the vaccination program for the government, and he hasn't even bothered to talk to him.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members on both sides! The member for Eden-Monaro and others who are interjecting! The member for Sturt.