Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Hansard source

That is a pretty low thing to say, Senator Gallagher. You want to cast a slur on the health professionals who did a professional report into Newmarch Lodge. I reckon that's a pretty low thing to do. All through this pandemic, this government has taken the advice of the health experts—of the Chief Medical Officer, of the chief health officers and the deputy chief health officers of each state and all of the officials—who have provided us with medical advice through this pandemic. We have based our actions on the advice of those medical professionals—all of them.

The initial work that was done through the national COVID-19 health response pulled together the hospitals agreements that provided support, particularly in Victoria when things got really bad there, in the context of places for people to go and also for surge workforce. The CDNA provided comprehensive work and guidance to the aged-care sector with respect to infection control and management. All of those things combined were where we acted based on the advice of those health professionals who put us in the best position possible to manage our way through the COVID-19 pandemic.