Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Does the minister support the creation of electronic vaccination certificates which passengers will need to fly within Australia and overseas?

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

The Leader of the House on a point of order.

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

Not every issue that might end up with some relationship to an aeroplane should be able to be answered by the particular minister in question. I think that there are clearly other ministers, and predominantly, primarily and substantively that is a health issue.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left, particularly the member for Solomon, never help when I'm hearing points of order. If they're not convinced about never helping me, I hope they're convinced they're not helping the Manager of Opposition Business.

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

On the point of order: this question asks the minister who, as far as the House is concerned, is responsible for answering questions on aviation about the rules as to whether people are allowed to fly. Now, this is not a long bow in terms of responsibility. This is about whether people get to fly, and he's meant to be able to answer questions on aviation policy. There would be a whole series of dixers that are out of order routinely if the aviation minister can't tell us an answer on the rules about whether or not people are allowed to fly.

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

The Leader of the House on the point of order.

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

I understand the point about rules, but those rules either would emanate from state based public health acts—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

This is not a debate.

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

or the Commonwealth Biosecurity Act, which means that they would necessarily be a question directed to the health minister; or, alternatively, would emanate from workplace relations law, in which case it would be another minister entirely.

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

I'll just go to rule on this question, without going through the Practice again in great detail. I take the points each are making, but I do think ministers have got, as the Practice points out, the ability to refer questions to other ministers if, in their opinion, the matter's more of a responsibility for other ministers. That principle is there. It doesn't mean the questions can't be asked, but I think on this occasion the point the Leader of the House is making has some validity to it because it wouldn't be something a minister responsible for aviation would make on their own; it would be something that would be enacted as a result of decisions of other ministries.

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. As I would hope the member and those opposite would appreciate, the Deputy Prime Minister is unable to attend and was, in fact, planning to be here this week, but couldn't inadvertently because of COVID. Obviously we are working through the arrangements. I am acting on his behalf. I am prepared to take that on notice and work with the other relevant agencies, such as health; the Attorney-General; and the workplace minister to make sure that there is an appropriate answer to the question asked. But if those opposite were serious about this, they would have made sure that they posed it to the appropriate minister.

Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Health. Will the minister please update the House on what action the Morrison-Joyce government is taking to protect regional, rural and remote Australians in the fight against the COVID pandemic?

David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First of all, I'd like to thank the member for Cowper for his question and acknowledge his deep concern for the welfare of his constituents. That's evidenced by his wonderful, stellar career serving in the New South Wales Police Force and defending people as a lawyer. He's also spoken up to defend the rights of his constituents and make sure they are getting the same care that everyone else in Australia is getting.

The Morrison-Joyce government is delivering across our wide, brown land. I can tell the House that 3.7 million doses of vaccine have already been delivered to 2½ million individuals in regional and rural Australia. The state system is obviously supported. The states all get support from the Commonwealth government, whether you're getting your vaccine in one of the state systems, the general practices, the community vaccination centres, the Aboriginal community controlled health organisations, the pharmacies or even the Flying Doctor Service.

The brunt of the delivery of the vaccine has been, from the beginning, through general practices. There are 1,500 in regional and rural Australia who are delivering vaccines and have been. More are coming on board as well. Indeed, there are 73 Commonwealth vaccination centres in regional Australia. There are 125 Aboriginal community controlled health organisations that have delivered to 148,000 Indigenous and other people who attend their centres. We have also announced that, in remote Australia and in Indigenous communities, Pfizer is available, including to 12- to 15-year-olds and those with chronic medical conditions.

Many of my former medical colleagues in general practice are bearing up well under this huge program and many of my constituents too are welcoming the enrolment of pharmacies into delivering vaccines as well. We have 375 already delivering in regional Australia, including in the good member's electorate. Plunkett's Pharmacy will come on board next week, and they have a branch also in my home town of Wauchope. Old Bar Pharmacy, also in my electorate, have already delivered 500, and they've only been getting vaccines for a couple of weeks.

I spoke with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Frank Quinlan told me that they have been to 95 different places, whether it's Broome in the north-west or Black Hole in the middle of Queensland. When they turned up in Tibooburra, the bush telegraph was alive and well. They had seven people booked in, but they called past the pub and, by the time they flew out, they had delivered 70. So the bush telegraph is alive and well. I'd also like to thank Tyrone Hand, when they turned up at Fitzroy Crossing— (Time expired)