Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister claimed that Australia was at the front of the queue for COVID vaccines. Given that more than half of the Australian population endured months-long lockdowns this year because the Prime Minister did not order enough vaccines when it counted, why did the Prime Minister say we are at the front of the queue when it wasn't true?

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

Australia has one of the highest double-dose vaccination rates in the world. In fact, when we set out in late February and early March we said that all those who wanted to have the vaccine would be able to have it in October, and that's exactly what happened. In fact, despite the challenges that we had early on, we turned that around and ensured that that timetable was actually met, and the vaccination rates that we have now achieved—that Australians have achieved—are amongst some of the highest in the world. Our vaccination rates are higher than the United Kingdom, even higher, on a first dose basis, than the Netherlands, higher than Germany and higher than Israel—all of those that had some early success. And now we go into next year with those high vaccination rates, which enable us to back in Australia's incredible achievement to have one of the lowest fatality rates of COVID of anywhere in the world and, on top of that, one of the strongest advanced economies in the world.

Only the Labor Party would want to talk that down. Only the Labor Party would want to talk down the achievements of the Australian people of having one of the lowest fatality rates, one of best economies and the highest vaccination rates in the world. What that speaks to is an opposition that have been so intent on playing politics with the pandemic that they cannot see the achievements of the Australian people and they cannot understand how much the Australian people are looking forward to the hope that is ahead of us.

Our government has a plan for that. It was also set out in last year's budget and the budget before that: securing that economic recovery, investing in apprentices and the trades and skills that ensure that they are equipped, investing in our digital economy—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Deputy Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On direct relevance: the question was clearly about the vaccine rollout strategy.

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

The Prime Minister has the call. I'm listening closely. It was a specific question, though.

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

The reality is that the vaccine rollout, which has achieved those record rates of countries all around the world, means that we can look forward with confidence. The Labor Party want to dwell and look in the rear vision mirror. What we want to do is look forward, like most Australians who are looking forward to Christmas, looking forward to next year, looking forward to opening their business, looking forward to welcoming tourists back, welcoming students back and getting skilled workers back into the country so they can drive their businesses forward. Our investments in the digital economy alone have had a—

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

I will just say that the Prime Minister is straying from a very specific question about the vaccines.

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

Mr Speaker, what I am saying is that our vaccination rate is enabling our economic recovery. No better confirmation of that is the $1 billion Google is investing in our digital economy strategy. We are securing the economic recovery. It's off the back of record rates of vaccination, one of the strongest economies through the pandemic and one of the lowest rates of fatality to COVID in the world.