Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

What a petty question from Senator Gallagher! What a misrepresentation of the documents and the facts! The government acknowledges that there have been challenges in relation to the vaccine rollout. We acknowledge that, and we take responsibility for it and for fixing it. We take responsibility for ensuring that, notwithstanding the challenges that have been had in terms of supply that was forecast to arrive but didn't arrive and notwithstanding changes to health advice, we continue to push on with ensuring that we have supply growth and growth in distribution points now and into the future. In doing that, we're in the best position to be able to see continued growth in relation to the vaccine rollout.

The data for the last 24 hours is just out, and some 221,859 Australians turned out in the last 24 hours to receive their latest vaccine doses. That is yet another daily record set in relation to the vaccine rollout, and I thank each and every one of those Australians who, notwithstanding the negativity elsewhere, are turning out in record numbers. It has pushed the total number of doses administered across Australia to more than 13 million now. In doing so, it sees the over-70s pass the 80 per cent threshold. That first age cohort who were prioritised under the vaccine rollout—we now have more than 80 per cent—have managed to achieve the target, and, having done so, we will no doubt see even more push on and get their second dose as those rates climb and that number grows even larger in that age cohort, as it will right across the Australian population.