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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's own department has confirmed it briefed the Prime Minister throughout the course of 2020 and 2021 on rapid antigen testing. Why didn't the Prime Minister do his job and order enough rapid antigen tests when it really counted?

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

At no point prior to the onset of omicron had the government—other than the issue of aged care around August last year, when the government then immediately went to procure rapid antigen tests for aged care, which was our responsibility—had any health advisory body, any chief medical officer, any health department or the Prime Minister and Cabinet department or any other department recommended that the government should be engaged in purchasing rapid antigen tests.

In fact, they weren't even approved by the TGA until November last year. And so the suggestion that is put by the Leader of the Opposition, that somehow, they would be recommending that we do something that was contrary to the medical opinion of the Therapeutic Goods Administration, is just a further example of how the leader of the Labor party has sought, all through this pandemic, to play politics with the pandemic for his own political gain.

The government, throughout this pandemic—yes, it is true we—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat for one a moment. The member for Macarthur is warned. The Prime Minister has the call.

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

It is true that through this pandemic the government took the action to close the borders right at the outset; in particular, we closed the borders to China, and we were criticised for being racist at the time. That helped save Australia from this pandemic over the course of these last few years. The government did move to put in place JobKeeper, to support apprentices, to put the cash flow boost in place, which means we've come through this pandemic with one of the strongest economies in the advanced world. And, yes, we took the decision in August 2020 to ensure that we manufactured the AstraZeneca vaccine here in Australia, where we could manufacture it, because other vaccines were not able to be manufactured in this country or so many other countries around the world. We did all of that, and we now have the highest vaccination rates in the world.

If the Labor party believes—

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

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

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, Mr Speaker. The question goes to rapid antigen testing and nothing else.

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

So your point of order is direct relevance?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, it is.

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

The question does go to rapid antigen testing, but the Prime Minister is on point insofar as the COVID pandemic.

Member for Shortland, I will not tolerate questions, particularly when I'm ruling on a point of order. The Prime Minister is relevant and the Prime Minister has the call.

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

So if the Labor Party thinks that they would have achieved better results than what I have just outlined, if they believe that if it were the Labor Party sitting on these benches, they would have achieved better results, then I don't believe the Australian people believe that for a second. Had the Labor Party been elected at the last election, $387 billion worth of taxes would have become a reality and then, when the pandemic hit, the Australian economy would have gone down the sinkhole—

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

The Prime Minister—

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

under the policies of those opposite.

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

The Prime Minister will return to the question, please.

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

Our government has kept Australians safe. We have kept our economy strong. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and the— (Time expired)