Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question goes to the Prime Minister: We are making daily progress on the national plan as more and more Australians, including those in my electorate, continue to arm themselves against COVID-19 through vaccination. Will the Prime Minister please update the House on how this plan will safely restore livelihoods and help to secure Australia's post-pandemic future?

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

I thank the member for Fairfax for his question. While I have this opportunity, can I commend the member for Fairfax for the tremendous work he did as my special envoy on the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and continues to do now, working with the Minister for Sport and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Regional Development, as we prepare for those wonderful games into the future. While we're at it, congratulations to all our Paralympians over there in Tokyo who are doing themselves, their families and the whole country proud.

Our national plan is about hope. Our national plan is about opening up, not locking down. Our plan is about a safe transition for those states that may have no COVID cases and those states that are locked down. It is about a safe transition for both of them, so we can move to the situation that's not too far away when we can live with this virus and not live in fear of it. It's about weddings, it's about parties—it's about everything. It's about all the things that go to the life in our country that we enjoy so much. It's about restoring lives. It's about restoring livelihoods. Our plan is about moving forward and it's about securing Australia's future in what will remain a very uncertain world on the other side of this pandemic. Lockdowns do need to end, and future lockdowns do need to be avoided. We know that because we know those lockdowns are taking a terrible toll on our country: on the mental health of our citizens and particularly of our young people; on the small businesses that have to struggle through each day, although, indeed, given economic support, at the same time, they would like to see their businesses able to stand on their own two feet; on our children and their education; on our families; and on the jobs of Australians. All of these lockdowns and our response are taking a heavy toll.

We can also not remain locked out of a global economy that is opening up again. With trade, students, travellers, tourists, essential workers and others who are needed to drive our economy forward, our national plan is about reconnecting to that global economy that is opening up, which is necessary for every single part of this country to be able to move forward. Australians agree, because 58 per cent of them have had their first dose of a vaccine, with 34 per cent of them over the age of 16 having had two doses and more than 50 per cent of those over 50 having had both doses. Now we know that today those aged 16 to 29 join the groups that are being vaccinated and on 13 September 12- to 15-year-olds will also be able to join those who are getting vaccinated. We're committed to that plan of hope. We're committed to seeing Australia open up. We're committed to Australian lives and livelihoods being restored through the implementation of the national plan.