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

My question is to the Prime Minister, and I refer to his previous two answers. Two questions ago, the Prime Minister stood at that dispatch box and said that he was giving new advice based upon the Doherty institute updating its advice to the government. Why is it that the Prime Minister thinks that Australians don't deserve to see that advice immediately, given that the government is changing its position on the basis of that advice?

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

First of all, the government has not changed its position. Our plan has been set out very clearly about how we are responding to COVID-19 and that when we reach 70 per cent and when we reach 80 per cent we can move through to phase B and phase C of that plan. Those marks have been set by the Doherty analysis that was undertaken. There were further discussions with Doherty over the weekend that were oral. There was oral advice that was provided to the government, and I can ask the minister for health to update further.

It should not come as a great surprise to those opposite that the government would be taking oral briefings from its advisers. I do that absolutely every single day, as people who come to us and are advising us provide us with that advice.

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Members will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

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

Point of order, Mr Speaker: I asked that the Prime Minister table a document that he was reading—

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

What is the point of order?

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

It goes to relevance, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister is now saying that there's no updated advice, whereas previously he said he was reading from it and it was confidential.

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

I ask the Leader of the Opposition to resume his seat.

Mr Hunt interjecting—

Mr Hill interjecting—

The Minister for Health and Aged Care will cease interjecting. The member for Bruce is warned. There's no point of order because the Prime Minister is being relevant to the question. He might not be answering it in the way the Leader of the Opposition wants, but that's existed since question time began—in 1901, I should say!

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

Even in the point of order, the Leader of the Opposition again seeks to misrepresent. He again seeks to misrepresent and he seeks to undermine, and that has been his practice for the last 18 months.

Our position is very clear: the national plan sees Australia starting to break free from lockdowns when we get to 70 per cent vaccination rates and 80 per cent vaccination rates. Why is Labor seeking to undermine that position? I do not understand why the Labor Party would be seeking to undermine confidence in a national plan that sees Australia say goodbye to lockdowns, but that is what the Leader of the Labor Party is doing.