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. Why doesn't Australia have any new federal quarantine facilities to strengthen our defences against new variants? Why does the Prime Minister always go missing when he has a job to do?

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

In response to the previous question, from the Leader of the Opposition, I made it very clear that that 2,000-space facility in the Northern Territory has been serving Australia extremely well. It has enabled Australians to come home from all around the world when Australians were coming back from parts of the world particularly impacted by the previous delta strain. Now those who are coming in facilitated flights out of southern Africa have been accommodated there in those federally supported facilities. The facilities in Melbourne are under construction. There are also the facilities in Western Australia and in Queensland, which will be there not just in the near term but for the longer term, ensuring that those facilities are there to deal with other pandemics when they will inevitably come to this country.

Australia has had one of the lowest fatality rates in the world in relation to COVID. Australia has also had one of the strongest economies amongst the advanced world as we have pushed through COVID. Australia also now has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. It was this government that closed the borders. It was this government that ensured that Australia was protected early on in the pandemic and that has saved more than 30,000 lives by working together with states and territories around the country to produce one of the best responses to COVID in the world. Those opposite may want to talk down the achievements of Australians in responding to COVID. We will keep leading through the COVID crisis.