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

My question is to the Prime Minister. In May, the Prime Minister announced that he had increased the capacity of the Howard Springs quarantine facility to 2,000 people. But last Friday his own department told the Senate COVID committee that Howard Springs has never accommodated 2,000 people and will never accommodate 2,000 people. Why won't the Prime Minister stop making announcements that don't result in any action and start delivering a safe, national quarantine system?

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

We have expanded the capacity of the national resilience facility to 2,000. That has happened. It does exist—that capacity exists at Howard Springs, and I thank Chief Minister Michael Gunner for the partnership where he has worked together with us to establish that capacity at the national resilience facility. In addition to that, I welcome the partnership I formed with Premier Andrews to ensure that we can move forward on the quarantine facility in Melbourne, where we have let the contract, and they're underway. I welcome the partnership we've established with Premier McGowan in Western Australia to see the Jandakot facility put in place. I welcome the partnership we're working on with the Queensland government on these important facilities.

The facility at Howard Springs has played an incredibly important role, especially in facilitating the return of Australians with the commercial flights that the government has been able to put on to bring Australians home when the capacity has been reduced all around the country to deal with the delta variant. As those facilitated commercial flights arrive, they are taking up the capacity, which is there at Howard Springs to support those flights. That will continue to increase in relation to the demand of commercial flights. I will ask the health minister to add further to my answer.

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

I'm happy to add to the Prime Minister's answer and happy to respectfully correct the statements made by the Leader of the Opposition. The advice that we have from the Department of Health, and, in particular, from the Northern Territory government, is: 'The 2,000 capacity will be reached on 13, 22 and 31 August.' Numbers obviously rise and fall as people enter with different flights. But we have been working very closely with the Northern Territory health minister, Natasha Fyles—somebody we've found extremely capable and cooperative, as we have the Northern Territory Chief Minister when dealing with him. Just to repeat: the presumption in the Leader of the Opposition's question was, respectfully, categorically incorrect. The 2,000 capacity will be reached in Howard Springs on 13, 22 and 31 August.

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

Is the Leader of the Opposition wishing to table something?

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

It's a report that I'm sure won't be allowed to be reported: the Senate COVID committee report. It's the evidence of Ms Frame from Prime Minister and Cabinet, who reported, 'There are practical reasons that we haven't got up,' and that we'll never get there.

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

Do you want to seek leave to have it tabled? Are you seeking leave?

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

Yes, I'm seeking leave.

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

Is leave granted?

An opposition member interjecting—

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a good guess. Leave is not granted.