Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Prime Minister. On 24 June, eight days after the Bondi cluster began, the Prime Minister commended the Premier of New South Wales for resisting a lockdown. Melbourne had tackled an outbreak of the delta strain less than a month earlier. How many people have contracted COVID and been hospitalised since the Prime Minister told the Premier she should resist taking necessary action to keep the community safe?

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

The figures I have are that there are 297 people in New South Wales who are currently in hospital, 60 in ICU and 28 on ventilators. There were 356 cases today.

I addressed this matter in a question recently when the same matter was raised. It has been the case that, in the past, New South Wales has had success in being able to contain outbreaks and remain open. That is true. They were able to do that. New South Wales has been acknowledged as having one of the best testing, tracing, isolating and quarantine systems not just in Australia but in the world. But there have certainly been lessons learnt over the course of these many past weeks, and the government doesn't deny that. That's why, when we came together as a national cabinet, we came to the agreed position right across the national cabinet that, in phase A of this national plan, short, sharp lockdowns are what is necessary in response to the delta variant. That is the response that the federal government supports—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left will cease interjecting.

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

and that is why we are backing up that policy with the economic supports that are put in place—with the COVID disaster assistance payment, which commences from the first day of any lockdown—consistent with the declaration of a Commonwealth hotspot. It is why we have entered into financial support agreements with the states and territories, whether it be in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, or South Australia, to provide fifty-fifty support—

Ms McBain interjecting—

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

The member for Eden-Monaro!

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

for funding the necessary business supports to make those lockdowns a success. It is why the ADF are sent in. It is why we have pulled forward doses of, in particular, the Pfizer vaccine. As I've said, 386,000 doses are being brought forward on top of the existing allocations to New South Wales to address this outbreak in New South Wales. The delta strain is a great challenge for the country. It's a great challenge for New South Wales right now. And we're going to continue working together to combat the delta strain in New South Wales and ensure that we all get through this. And I would seek the support of all in this chamber to support that program and not undermine those efforts.