Andrew Laming (Bowman, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Thank you, Deputy Speaker Andrews. To all of you in the nation's capital, thank you for going above and beyond, many of you surrendering to 14 days home quarantine for being there. From Cleveland, Queensland, I want to speak out for all states that are battling this very much impervious delta outbreak and note that all jurisdictions are effectively penguins on an icefloe of elimination, surrounded by a sea of suppression. Particularly in New South Wales, what we're learning is that eventually all states will face a level of COVID endemicity, and ultimately we do have to be able to trade away these economic shutdowns, which come at a huge price. Today I am just recognising those who work in major events, tourism, travel, hospitality, accommodation, restaurants, hotels, catering—mostly under 35 and, in many cases, a majority of whom are women. They're paying a huge economic price while the rest of us have never had it so good, with ongoing employment and, in many cases, working from home.

This is predominantly now, with monoclonal antibodies and vaccine distribution, an economic challenge more so than a health one. For that reason we need to focus very, very clearly, including Doherty and Treasury, on exactly what price we're prepared to pay in economic shutdowns, which are indirect hits on business and on income, in order to avert a single death to COVID.

One point I'd also make in response to the previous speaker is that suicide rates are not up across all eastern seaboard death analyses as we concurrently see them, mindful that many are, in coronial cases, still being evaluated.