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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister take responsibility for the fact that his failure on vaccines and purpose-built quarantine caused the worst downturn in the OECD?

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. The policies that were put in place by the government as part of the cooperative arrangements we had with the states and territories ensured that back in March 2020 we were able to quickly put in place a system of quarantine that enabled Australia to have one of the lowest fatality rates in the world in relation to COVID. Those quarantine arrangements were of course agreed with all the states and territories and strongly supported back in March. But it wasn't just the state and territory leaders who supported those arrangements on quarantine, because, on 27 March, the Leader of the Opposition tweeted this: 'Australian Labor supports new quarantine laws using hotels for overseas arrivals.' That's what the Leader of the Opposition said. As usual, what we have from the Leader of the Opposition is he said he supports hotel quarantine when we're announcing it, and then he comes into this place and says it's not appropriate—an each-way bet on every single position. If you don't like what the Leader of the Opposition says one day—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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

Yes, Mr Speaker. The point of order goes to relevance. The question was about the worst downturn in the OECD and about the government's values on vaccines and purpose built quarantine. You, of course, have to use temporary stuff till you build purpose-built quarantine, which is what state governments wanted—

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is entitled to compare and contrast to some extent, but I would ask the Prime Minister to return to the question.

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

That arrangement ensured that we were able to save more than 30,000 lives in this country. Today Australia has one of the highest vaccine rates in the world, and we indeed have one of the strongest economies coming through this pandemic. Those opposite want to talk down the economy. The September quarter of this year was a very difficult time for Australians. It was an incredibly difficult time for Australians. I am asked why. It may have escaped them that there is a COVID-19 pandemic happening around the world. Those opposite don't seem to be aware that, when there is a pandemic, outbreaks occur.

Andrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Macnamara is warned.

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

Outbreaks occur, and, as a result of those outbreaks—as the member will recall, it was a result of a limousine driver not wearing a mask in Sydney. That's what caused that outbreak, and from there it went to other states. That's what we know. And we know that the national vaccine strategy in place had us reaching the high levels of vaccination rates by the middle of October this year, which was reached. What we see from those opposite is that they want to say they support measures on the pandemic, and then, on the other hand, they oppose measures on the pandemic. They have each-way-bet politics on the pandemic.

What I know about the Australian economy is that we have had one of the strongest economies coming through this pandemic of any advanced nation in the world, and what is happening now is 350,000 jobs came back into that economy in the last five weeks as we've opened up and as the economy springs back— (Time expired)